Spectrum
by Miss Mahariel
Summary: Scarred at a young age by acts of atrocity, Sabari Mahariel feels justified in her hatred toward shemlen. As the world shatters around her, she must make a choice whether to fight to save the very ones who have oppressed her kind for centuries, or to watch them burn. Thanks be to Bioware for creating this wicked playground!
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue_**

_Mist swaddled the verdant land in its early morning embrace. Hills carpeted in green rolled ever onward, their undulating pattern occasionally interrupted by the curving river that rushed east towards the Amaranthine Ocean. Pungent firs, ancient oaks with their towering arms, and hundreds of other trees dotted the landscape and conglomerated in several areas. One such concentration of trees in the Brecilian forest was the current home one of the few nomadic tribes of Dalish that lived in the forest – ever moving, ever watchful, these keepers of old lore and tradition were constantly on alert for any sign of interruption to their peaceful existence._

_A young elven girl sat quietly outside of her family's aravel, her skinny legs tucked underneath her, and her simple skirted tunic in disarray from her early morning romp through the forest with her friends. Her back was held straight, and large, luminous green eyes shadowed by straight, raven hair were fixed on her father's form as he walked closer. He would not punish her – of that she had no fear – it was common for the youngsters of the clan to carouse and get dirty. Today was a special day, a day that the girl had been looking forward to for months – the day her father had promised to take her tracking in the forest. As he approached, his normally serious face softened at the sight of his only daughter. He nodded, and motioned for her to come along. She sprang to her feet, a smile of delight crossing her features._

_The pair treaded silently into the woods, pausing often as father imparted knowledge to daughter. She absorbed all of the information that her young mind could retain, paying especially close attention when he spoke of the animals in the forest and their unique personalities and quirks. Wide-eyed, she gasped when he told her of the wolves – cunning, lethal, fiercely protective and pack-oriented – they had many similarities to their clan._

_As the day turned cooler and the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting brilliant rays of red and orange light onto the hills, the pair turned home. She had been told the names of what must have been every tree in the forest, and had learned where the squirrels liked to hide their caches for the winter, and how to navigate her way by looking at the moss on the trees – nothing, though, was held as tightly in her mind as the description of the wolves._

_As the seasons passed, the girl became all that her father had molded her to be. Though still wary of humans, her parents had taught her that not all men were to be feared – a distinctly controversial topic within the clan. She maintained her views on the subject, thoroughly convinced that her parents were right._

_Tragedy struck two seasons later._

_Harsh and unfamiliar voices in the forest… the whinny of a horse… the sound of drawn steel… her mother's scream…_

_Eventually, the fractured memories faded to a dull scar on her soul, only to be replaced by a burning hatred. Her parents had been wrong. Fatally wrong._

_Humans were not to be trusted... _

IOI

Tamlen stood with his bowstring pulled taut, ready to loose an arrow if any of the humans in front of him dared to move. "What are you _shems _doing here?" he demanded, blue eyes flashing.

"Let us pass, elf, you have no right to stop us!" The bravest of the bunch spoke up He was large, even for a _shem_, and his muddy brown eyes darted around – a tell-tale sign of his underlying fear.

"No? We will have to see about that, won't we?" Tamlen said slyly as he was joined by a female elf with raven hair. As she padded silently to stand beside her friend, she too trained her bow on the humans.

"You're just in time, Sabari. I found these..._humans _lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt," Tamlen informed his friend.

"W-we aren't bandits," the overweight human stammered. "We were on our w-way to L-l-lothering."

The dark haired female laughed, "Lothering is more than a week's journey from here, and you have no gear. Tell us the real reason, _shem_!"

"Please, don't hurt us!" the smallest human pleaded.

"You _shemlen _are pathetic. I find it difficult to believe that weaklings such as you were the ones to drive us from our homeland in the first place!" Tamlen laughed harshly.

"We've never done anything to you Dalish! We didn't even know this forest was yours!" the brave one protested.

"Fool, this forest isn't **_ours_****! **But you've stumbled too close to our camp. You _shemlen _are like vermin, we can't trust you not to make trouble," Tamlen spat hatefully.

"What do you say _Da'vhenan_? What should we do with them?" he asked his dark-haired friend affectionately.

His companion's full lips curved into a smile. Green eyes flashed his way, and her voice was laced with malice and disdain when she spoke. "I say we kill them. The others will never know."

"I like the sound of that! Do you _shems_ have anything to say in your defense?" Tamlen asked fiercely, the string of his bow creaking as he tightened it.

"L-l-look we didn't come here to cause trouble! Somebody told us of a cave here with ruins inside filled with Elven treasure..." the short one sputtered.

"Hah, so you are more akin to thieves than bandits," Tamlen interrupted him.

"I know these woods well. I have never come across a cave like this - you lie!" Sabari accused.

"We-we have proof! Here, look." The man held out a stone for Tamlen to see – the elf snatched it from the man's pudgy hands.

Tamlen rolled the stone over in his hands. Its smooth, brown surface was cool to the touch and he felt smooth and intricate etchings that spiraled over the surface. "This stone… is that elvish? Written elvish?" Tamlen's shock was evident in his voice.

"There's more inside the cave," the pudgy man said, pleased that the stone had impressed the elf.

"We didn't get very far in, though..." the brave man added. Sabari raised an eyebrow.

"Why not?" she queried.

"There... was a demon. It was huge! With big black eyes! Thank the Maker we were able to get out in time!" the shorter man said quickly, shuddering at the memory.

"A demon, you say," Tamlen mused out loud. "Where is this cave?"

"Off to the west , it's just past the river. There's an opening in the rock face there, and just inside there is a tunnel," the fat one explained hastily.

"Now, please... let us go," the short one pleaded.

"What do you think, _Da'vhenan_? Should we let them go?" Tamlen asked. Sabari surveyed the three men.

"I think we can let one of them go, assuming he will never speak of this place again. Should he find that his tongue wags too much, we will find out, and we _will_ kill him then," Sabari replied simply.

The pudgy one started weeping. "N-n-no please d-don't..." Sabari let her arrow fly straight through the man's heart. Tamlen followed suit and the shortest man dropped to the ground. Sabari turned her smoldering gaze to the last man.

"Now go, _shem, _and forget this place! If others come, I will hunt you down like the vermin you are," she said menacingly. The man had never seen anything so frighteningly beautiful in his life. He jumped up as if he had been scalded and ran crashing through the woods. Sabari sighed remorsefully at the two remaining men.

"We do what we must to protect the clan," Tamlen told her, placing a comforting hand on her own.

"I just wish we had a way to bury them. It seems cruel to just leave them here - even humans deserve to find their way into the beyond." Tamlen gave his life-long friend a fond look.

"_Dareth __shiral__." s_aid Tamlen over each man as he crossed their arms, placing them upon their chests and closing their eyes. Sabari inclined her dark head in acknowledgment. Deciding she wanted to be elsewhere, Sabari set off deeper into the forest, Tamlen close behind her.

IOI

"Now, what do you suppose we do about this cave _Da'vhenan_?" Tamlen asked, flashing Sabari a wicked grin as they walked through the towering trees of the Brecilian forest.

"_I suppose _we _should_ tell the Keeper but where is the fun in that? I mean, before we tell anyone, shouldn't we make sure it's even a real cave with real treasure?" Sabari grinned back at him, mischief playing in her eyes.

"You are right," Tamlen agreed, chuckling to himself. "Has anyone ever told you that you look beautiful when you're plotting mischief?" he asked playfully. Sabari blushed and was immediately grateful for her olive complexion. Tamlen and Sabari had been inseparable since they were small children, seventeen years ago. Recently, Tamlen had been quite flirtatious - Sabari loved the attention secretly, though she always tried to brush off his advances like they were nothing. Sabari adored Tamlen and assumed he would ask her to be his mate.

"Has anyone ever mentioned to you that women prefer subtly, dear Tamlen?" she asked him with a smirk.

"I believe you just have, _Da'vhenan_, however, I'm not very good at subtly so you will just have to smile and endure my affections!" With a laugh, Tamlen scooped her up off the ground. "Now come, let us find this cave!"

IOI

Sabari and Tamlen wandered towards the western river, taking their time to enjoy the splendor of the forest. It was a beautiful day - the sun shone through the trees casting a mosaic of shadows on the forest floor.

_Yes it was the perfect day for an adventure__, _Sabari thought to herself with a smile. As they walked, Tamlen regaled her with his tale of the time he and Thalion accidentally wandered into a bear cave. The warm breeze ebbed and flowed, coaxing the leaves on the forest floor into a cyclonic dance around their feet.

"You should have seen Thalion's face - he was as ashen as a shade! Poor lad, I thought he might wet himself," Tamlen said laughing.

"Be nice, Tamlen. Not everyone is as brave as you," Sabari scolded him with a wink.

"Speaking of scary creatures, where is that beast of yours?"

Sabari shot him a glare.

"Natu is not a ___creature__,_Tamlen! He is a perfectly sweet wolf, and he is probably back at camp cleaning his nails on your favorite breeches," she replied indignantly.

"If he is, he will be getting a bath in the river," quipped Tamlen.

The duo rounded a corner and the path wound lower to travel close to the river. It was one of their favorites spots – the water was slower and more serene here, and on a day such as this it sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. An ancient oak tree's gnarled branches reached out over the water and offered plenty of shaded places to rest.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to be assisting Master Ilan today?" Tamlen asked, turning to look at Sabari.

"If by 'assisting' you mean being punished, then yes, I was supposed to be," Sabari said with a laugh. Tamlen rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Typical. What did you do? Wait - never mind! I don't want to know!"

Sabari grinned. "You know me, I got out of it. Besides... I wanted to be with you, Tamlen," she said lightly. Now it was his turn to blush.

"I thought that might be it, I'm glad," he replied, smiling at her meaningfully. With a cheer he tossed his bow aside, pulled his tunic over his head, cast it to the ground, and sprinted to the river's edge. Without a pause he jumped into the water, making a tremendous splash. Sabari watched the water cascade off his lean, muscular body. The sun made his blonde hair seem gold. She admired him for a moment.

_I wonder what it would be like to kiss him, to feel his touch..._ As she thought about the possibilities, she felt the tips of her pointy ears burning. _Thank the gods he can't read minds._With a laugh she stripped off her light tunic and leather breeches and jumped into the river after him.

After their swim they clambered on to the river bank and dried off in morning sun.

"What a glorious day, Sabari - I'm so happy to share it with you. But let us get back to the task at hand; finding that cave," Tamlen said gleefully. They dressed quickly and he led the way. When they arrived at the rocky outcropping the _shem _had spoken of, Sabari noticed a peculiar tree: its leaves were star shaped and multiple shades of green, Sabari stroked the spindly trunk – it was like alabaster.

"What a beautiful tree! Tamlen, come look at it - I've never seen one like it before," she marveled.

"Stop gawking at the shrubbery and help me find the entrance," Tamlen replied. Sabari made a face at his back.

"Aha! I've found it! Over here, _Da'vhenan_!" Tamlen shouted from behind a large boulder.

Sabari picked her way over the rocky terrain towards him to stand at his side. In front of them was a large cave opening - the darkness inside gave it an ominous feeling. Tamlen moved to take a step inside.

"You should probably light a torch or something, Tamlen, unless you have developed the eyesight of a cat overnight?" Sabari teased.

"If I did, I wouldn't tell you. You would be left in the dark wondering, 'O_h where did Tamlen go? How I wish I didn't make fun of him, he is so marvelous!'" _Tamlen retorted.

"I see you've been into the keeper's wine again," Sabari said, rolling her eyes. With a snap of his fingers, Tamlen muttered the Dalish word for 'flame' to turn a dry branch into a torch.

"See, a little magic comes in handy now and again, doesn't it?" Tamlen smiled at Sabari and their eyes met. His eyes were the same deep blue of the sea that Sabari had been told of, far to the east. She felt her breath catch as they pierced her to her core.

She shook her head to clear it. "Come along, Tamlen, let's check out this cave of yours… unless you're scared?" Sabari prodded him, trying to lighten the mood.

Tamlen laughed and pulled her into the cave after him.

IOI

They crept through the darkness together. This cave seemed rather unremarkable to Sabari - it appeared to just be an old bears' den. She wondered if the _shem _had been mistaken, after all.

"_Da'vhenan,_over here! I found the entrance to the ruins!" Tamlen shouted. Sabari hurried over to where he was standing. It was then she noticed the tunnel in the back of the cave. At first glance, she saw nothing of note. After a moment, though, she felt a draft of cold, putrid air, and saw a small tunnel in the back corner of the cave.

"This must be the way into the ruins, come on!" Tamlen said as he stepped into the tunnel.

Sabari followed him into the dark. The stone walls inside were smooth and cool to the touch. As they walked through the tunnel, the light from the torch cast eerie shadows on the walls. This place gave Sabari a sense of foreboding, and she shivered though it was not cold. They hadn't been walking for long when they saw pale blue light signaling the end of the tunnel. Tamlen's pace quickened in his excitement. They emerged into a large, cavernous area that housed a spectacular and unexpected sight.

"Look at these ruins!" Sabari gasped. What lay in front of them were the crumbling remains of what had been an ancient city. The cavern had an overabundance of lyrium veins casting the ruins in their pale blue light. The towering arches held a mysterious artistry. Tamlen reached out and gently grasped Sabari's hand as they stood there awestruck. Sabari felt her heart flutter.

"Tamlen... it's beautiful," she whispered.

"Isn't it?" Tamlen agreed. They stepped forward into the city, taking it all in.

_Strange… these ruins seem more human than Elvhen__, _Tamlen mused.

The pair started exploring further into the ruins. Sabari was surprised at how much light the lyrium veins emitted. She trailed slowly after Tamlen as he entered what probably used to be an old temple, thinking that _it must have been simply magical when people lived here. Imagine humans and Elvhen living together in harmony, with no hatred between the two races..._Sabari was lost in her thoughts when she heard Tamlen call out.

"I can't believe this!" He exclaimed. Sabari came back to reality, and the old spelndor of the hall that Sabari had imagined returned with a jolt to its current and decrepit state. She ambled over to where Tamlen was standing.

"You know what this is, right?" he asked, gesturing at a statue of an elf maiden. It was worn and cracked, but ethereally beautiful in the pale light.

"It is a statue, Tamlen," Sabari stated matter-of-factly.

"Thank you Miss Obvious," Tamlen said dryly. "This looks like human architecture but... with carvings of our people. I wonder if these ruins date back to the time of Arlathan?" he said with renewed vigor.

"It is interesting. So much of our past is lost us," said Sabari sadly. Tamlen looked up the hallway, appreciating the intricate designs on the pillars.

He caught Sabari looking at him with a tender expression.

"We don't have to tell anyone it's here - it can just be for us," Tamlen told her fondly. Their eyes locked again, and Sabari felt that familiar fluttering in her heart once more as Tamlen raised his hand to stroke her cheek – her skin as soft as the petal of a flower. Sabari's heart pounded with excitement as Tamlen leaned in to kiss her.

The sound of metal scraping against stone interrupted them, making them both jump. Loud moaning echoed up the hallway towards them.

"What in the creator's name was that?" Tamlen asked, reaching for his bow. Sabari shrugged and reached for her sword. She heard the pull of Tamlen's bowstring. "What the-" Sabari exclaimed as two half-decayed corpses shambled into view, dragging their swords across the stone floors.

_Mythal help us! _

When the corpses caught sight of them they started to charge, lifting their weapons off the ground. _By the gods how is this happening_, she wondered. The closest one swung at her but she feinted to the left and knocked the creature down with the pommel of her sword. The second one was upon her before she had a chance to react. It lunged towards her face, trying to take a bite at her. Its breath was revolting, and Sabari fought the urge to vomit right there. An arrow whizzed past her face and pierced the monster's head. Sabari shook off the wave of nausea and returned her focus to the remaining creature. It had picked its rotting body off the ground and thrust with its rusted sword at her abdomen. Sabari jumped back and with the reflexes of a cat whirled around. With a fierce yell she swung the sword at the monster's decaying midsection, slicing it in half. It still moved! She drove her blade through its skull, putrid flesh spraying up at her face. Sabari choked back a gag. Tamlen came over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Holy Halla! What were those things?" Sabari asked, her hands trembling.

"Walking corpses. It seems this place is haunted," Tamlen affirmed. Sabari nodded in agreement.

"Let's find a way out of here. I am not going back that way."

Tamlen agreed and they continued through the corridor, in the opposite direction from which entered, Sabari noticed a door on the right side of the hall.

"Let's check this door out," she suggested, "It can't be worse than walking dead things."

Tamlen walked over to the door, uncertainty on his face. When the door opened they were greeted by a flash of light and before they could get their bearings they heard a ferocious snarl. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting after the blinding light. When the creature before them came into focus, she shuddered. It looked like a bear, but much bigger with bloody spikes protruding from its back and claws as long and sharp as daggers. It snarled at them again, its yellow eyes gleaming and spittle flying from its jaws. The hairs on Sabari' neck prickled. Without any sort of warning the monster charged at Sabari. Tamlen pushed her out of the way barely missing the creature's bulk himself. Sabari sprang up and grabbed her sword from its sheath. The creature turned with unnatural agility and bore down on her again. Sabari held her ground. At the last second, she lunged to the right. The creature crashed into the wall behind her and crumpled. Not wasting a second, she hopped onto its back, and slammed her blade between its hulking shoulders. With a savage twist of her blade, Sabari severed the blighted creature's spine. As she rolled neatly off the beast and to her feet, she saw one of Tamlen's arrows drill into its skull. The creature shuddered and was still.

Sabari wiped her blade clean with the sleeve of her tunic. She realized she was trembling. Tamlen dashed over to her and placed his hands on her small shoulders.

"By the creators, what _was_ that thing?" Tamlen asked in horror. Sabari closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I haven't a single idea," she replied shakily. They turned to attend to the room…

It was Tamlen who spotted the only thing of interest first: a tall mirror stood in the center of the room, its reflective face inexplicably clean, despite the centuries' worth of dust that covered the floor.

"Do you smell the air, Tamlen? It seems fresher in here. There must be a way out close by..." Sabari informed him. When she heard no reply, Sabari She looked over at Tamlen, but he was staring at the tall mirror, entranced. Sabari watched him walk up to it.

"Look, _Da'vhenan_…" Tamlen said, enthralled. Sabari glanced at the mirror, not seeing anything particularly remarkable about it.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Look: there is some sort of writing on it." Tamlen peered closer into the mirror, his nose almost touching the glass. "I wonder what it says.." His voice trailed off.

"Enough gawking, let's go. And, I really think you should leave that thing alone." Sabari tried to keep her tone light, but she'd had chills ever since they entered the ruins and was eager to leave.

"Like we would leave a scratch on it - It's flawless. Don't worry so much, I won't break it." Tamlen's voice had taken on an obscure tone.

Sabari felt a sense of foreboding again. Frowning, she went to stand at his side.

"It is pretty," she admitted.

"Wait a minute, did you see that?" Tamlen asked in shock. Sabari shook her head. Tamlen placed his hand on the mirror.

"Tamlen… I don't think –" she tugged uselessly on his arm, her subconscious screaming that this mirror couldn't be anything good.

"C-can you feel that?" he interrupted her. Sabari gave him a worried glance. She did not like this!

"It knows we are here," Tamlen whispered. "It's...it's showing me things."

"Tamlen! You need to get away from it!" Sabari said forcefully. She grabbed his arm trying again to pull him away from the mirror, but he cast her aside.

"It's showing me a great city... underground?" His voice quivered but he still did not look away from the mirror. Sabari picked herself up off the ground and reached for Tamlen's arm again. He was muttering to himself.

Out of nowhere, his body jolted as if it had been struck by lightning. Sabari cried out, fearing for him.

"It...saw...me!" Tamlen's voice dropped to a raspy whisper.

"What?! Tamlen, for the love of _Mythal_, step away from that thing!" Sabari tried again to grab him and pull him away but he couldn't budge. It was like the mirror held him place. Tamlen started twitching.

"It saw me. There is only blackness! I-I cannot look away, Sabari! H-h-help me!" Tamlen cried out in agony.

"Tamlen! NO!" Sabari yelled. She felt a pounding in her ears.

A soul-shattering shriek!

Then darkness.

* * *

_**A/N : Da'vhenan - little heart (cute affectionate term)**_

_**Dareth shiral - Safe journey**_

_**An ogre-sized thank you to my super Beta : Kyla Bains - for helping me spruce this chapter up. :) **_


	2. Chapter 2

The soft, diffused light from the sun beneath the horizon cast the low hanging clouds in a pale golden aura. There was a chill in the morning air, but Duncan awoke from his sleep covered in sweat.

_What a curious dream_, he thought.

Grey Wardens weren't strangers to the occasional odd dream, being plagued with nightmares as often as they were but Duncan hadn't had a premonition in years, and that's what his heart was telling him this particular dream was. He'd dreamt of the towering trees of the Brecilian forest,a dark and gloomy cave with mysterious ancient ruins within it and a young elven girl with long black hair, her pretty features twisted in anguish. The dream had left him with an anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach. He stood up groggily from his bedroll and ducked through the door of his tent. All was quiet at Ostagar; the sun was just starting to rise above the tall towers of the old fortress. The remnants of the night watches fires were smoldering, sending little plumes of smoke into the brightening sky. Back inside, he poured clean, clear water into the simple basin, splashed his face with the icy liquid, and reached for a towel. His nightmares had been coming more frequently in the past couple months. He paused, a rivulet of water running down his dark skin, as he focused within. The taint within his blood seemed to pulse with the beat of his own heart. He knew his time would be coming soon. He gathered a quick breakfast consisting of grainy bread and a pint of ale, and he pondered his dream. _I need to go to the forest_, he surmised_. It is not far from here_. He chased the bread with a swig of ale and savored the bitter taste. He decided that he would set out today to see what was happening there.

Duncan was watching the sun come over the horizon so intently that Alistair was afraid to disturb him. He carried with him the latest battle reports, and while they were good, Alistair knew Duncan would be irritated by the king's eagerness to write the darkspawn attacks off as a minor uprising.

Duncan was so engrossed in his own thoughts he did not notice the young man standing there at first.

"Ah, Alistair, I didn't see you there. You have the latest reports? May I see them?" Duncan asked in his deep voice. As Alistair handed them over, noticed Duncan was in his traveling clothes.

"You're all dressed up Duncan. Off to the royal ball are we?" Alistair quipped.

Duncan chuckled at Alistair's comment. "I can't hide anything from you can I?" The warden commander scanned the battle report quickly.

_Still no sign of the archdemon. _Duncan's thoughts were troubled, because the creature had yet to show itself, the king refused to listen to reason and wait for assistance before engaging the darkspawn head on again.

"To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed you didn't ask me to be your date. I'm hurt Duncan." Alistair said playfully. The two men laughed for a second. Alistair had this innate ability to find something to laugh about, especially in these dire times,it lifted the spirits of the other men, although sometimes he did get carried away. Duncan looked him for a moment, proud of the young man he had become

_It serves him well_, Duncan thought.

"Joking aside, where are you going?" Alistair asked. Duncan told him he was traveling to the Brecilian forest, and when Alistair asked him why, Duncan explained of the dream he had, and the need he felt to get there in haste.

"I sense an evil there Alistair." said Duncan gravely.

"Do you want some company? I would love to get out of camp for a few days." Alistair offered lightly. Duncan thanked him for the offer but declined nevertheless.

"I need you to stay here and look after everything while I'm away."

"You're leaving me in charge?" Alistair asked incredulously."Surely there are more senior members who know their way around camp better. I have a very good chance of getting lost with my pants down, and then I'll be the laughingstock of the entire Order!"

"I have faith in you, Alistair." said Duncan. "Also, I will need you to begin preparations for the joining ritual."

Alistair nodded his head in acknowledgment, knowing that he needed to tell the mages to begin preparing, tell the other two recruits before the senior warden returned, and hopefully be able to convince the quartermaster to part with that _lovely_ stilton cheese for twenty silver.

"I have already sent word to King Cailan in regards to my absence. He is not worried, though - he believes we have this '_minor blight'__ und_er control." Duncan continued.

"All the king cares about is how shiny his armor is." Alistair scoffed. Duncan chuckled a little bit.

"That may be true but he is a good and fair man. Now,I must be off. Oh and _do_ try to stay out of trouble while I'm away Alistair." Duncan said as he started towards the stables.

"I will be the image of virtue and responsibility!" Alistair shouted at his back.

It was an uneventful ride through the wilds and the weather had remained fair, common for the end of the summer season. He encountered no one during his travel through the Southern Hills, the roads had been eerily deserted. Duncan enjoyed his ride through the mountainous Brecilian Passage though he did not stop to admire the craggy alps, he felt the urge to get there quickly. Duncan had made good time to the Brecilian forest, stopping only once to sleep. He dismounted his horse as he reached the outskirts of the forest, leaving her to graze in the lush green meadow. He knew the horse would not stray too far and did not think he would be more then a few days in the forest.

Duncan gave the bay mare a fond pat on her velvety nose and headed off into the dense forest. It was still early, and the dew clung to the blades of grass shining like tiny crystals in the morning sun. Duncan continued his journey through the forest, relying on his instincts to guide him where to go. After several hours of trekking through the dense foliage, Duncan heard the thunderous sound of rushing water. As he investigated further, he came across a river, its waters cascading over large boulders. Thirsty, he paused long enough to fill his waterskin.

The sun was finishing its journey for the day casting the forest in a crimson glow when Duncan came across the cave from his dream -he knew it from the slender tree that grew near the entrance, it's strange emerald foliage was star-shaped, the warden had seen nothing like it before. Suddenly,he heard a snarl to his right. Duncan turned his head quickly, hand on the hilt of his blade. A large, gray wolf sat on a rock growling at him, its ears pressed flat against its head.

. Before he could decide how to deal with the wolf, however, Duncan heard a soft moaning. On the ground near where the wolf was sitting, lay the young elf woman from his dream. The girl was lying face down twitching and moaning softly. Duncan went to help her but the wolf bared his teeth and growled at him. Duncan cleared his throat.

"I mean this woman no harm. I wish to lend her aid... if you will allow so." The gray wolf cocked its head to the side and slowly blinked its luminous amber eyes. Duncan knew naught of wolves but this looked like a friendly gesture. _By the Maker, the beast seems to understand me_. Anything was possible in these woods, he thought, as he gently rolled the girl on to her back, under the watchful stare of the lupine.

"Are you alright? What has happened to you?" Duncan asked the girl, her pale eyes fluttered, and after a moment they focused on Duncan. She grabbed his arm tightly.

"It has Tamlen! The mirror… help him…please...help!" she shouted. Suddenly, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell unconscious. Duncan held the girl's limp body. Duncan held the girl's limp body. He felt the taint poisoning her blood; she must have encountered darkspawn in that cave.

"Your friend is very sick. Where are the others - I need to get to them right away!" Duncan said to the silver wolf. It's intelligent eyes widened as it sprung off the rock and bounded off. Duncan slung the girl over his shoulders and followed the beast, hoping it would lead them to the rest of the Dalish.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N :  
Da'len - little one  
Dar'misu - dagger  
Falon - friend  
__Andaran atish'an - formal greeting  
_

* * *

_Sabari was sitting in the top branches of a towering oak tree, Tamlen next to her as they both swung their dangling feet in the air. Birds were singing their cheerful tunes and the sun was bright and warm. Sabari and Tamlen were holding hands and laughing over something one of the children had done. It was a perfect day,only something felt amiss... _

A rushing sound filled her ears as she opened her eyes and found herself nose to nose with her silver furred friend. Natu's pupils widened as he noticed that Sabari had woken up. Natu barked happily and started showering her with slobbery kisses. Sabari whispered his name softly and buried her face into his thick neck, her tears warm against his glossy coat.

"You're awake!" Fenarel said as he strode over to Sabari. "You've the gods own luck _Da'len_." He offered his hand to help her off the ground. Sabari looked around groggily – she was back at camp.

_Strange. How did I get here?_

"How are you feeling? Everyone has been worried sick over you." Fenarel asked. Sabari's head was pounding.

"How did I get back to camp...and where is Tamlen?" Sabari asked nervously. Fenarel's expression gave her the answer she sought.

"The _shem_ who brought you back here two days ago saw no sign of Tamlen." Fenarel replied, with sadness in his grey eyes. Sabari's mind reeled.

_H__e must be back at the cave, I have to find him. _

"A human brought me here?" Sabari asked in disbelief, remembering the humans she and Tamlen encountered and subsequently slain.

"Don't you remember anything?" Fenarel asked, shaking his blonde head. "A shem brought you here two days ago." Sabari held her hand against her forehead as if to keep it from exploding.

_Two days, I've been unconscious for two days... Mythal help him. _

_"_I remember finding a mirror, Tamlen touching it, there were screams and then everything went black!" Sabari said, her voice quavering a bit.

Fenarel's eyes softened, he felt badly for her. Anyone with eyes could see the budding romance between her and Tamlen.

"The shem who found you was a Grey Warden. Natu and him appeared out of nowhere with you slung over his shoulder. You were delirious with fever. He left you here and ran off again. The keeper's been healing you with the old magic." Fenarel explained. "She wanted to see you when you woke up." Sabari started to move but Fenarel stopped her.

"You stay here, I'll go get her." He told her. Fenarel turned on his heel and headed off to find the keeper. Sabari watched his back for a moment before turning to her wolf, he looked up at her and whined softly. Sabari's mind was in turmoil, her pale green eyes filled with tears at the thought of Tamlen being hurt or worse. She did not have to wait long for keeper Marethari to come to her.

"I am glad you are awake, _Da'len_." Sabari turned at the sound of the keeper's soft voice. Keeper Marethari's hair shone silver in the morning sun. Marethari may have been old but she was still spry - she would be the first to don her armor to protect the clan. Sabari bowed her head in acknowledgment.

"It is fortunate Duncan found you when he did. I do not know what dark power held you, but it nearly drained the life from you. It was difficult for even my magic to keep you alive." Keeper Marethari said focusing her misty eyes on the young elf.

"Duncan...is that the name of the _shem _who brought me back?" Sabari asked, the human name felt foreign on her tongue.

"Yes, he introduced himself as a grey warden. Duncan thought there might be foul creatures called darkspawn inside the cave," Marethari continued. Sabari shifted her weight uncomfortably under the keeper's stern gaze.

"There were walking corpses and a giant monster, it looked like a bear but was different at the same time." Sabari recalled.

Marethari' eyes widened in surprise,"Can you tell me more about this creature, Da'len?"

"It was larger than any bear I have ever encountered, I could feel the rage emanating from it. It had spikes, large bloody spikes, protruding from its back! It's teeth and claws were as sharp as a _Dar'Misu_! And its eyes...so strange,the iris had no color whatsoever!" Sabari told the Keeper, shuddering at the memory.

"Walking corpses, dark magic but not darkspawn. I know not what the other creature could be. Did you find anything else?" Marethari probed the young elf. Sabari told her about the mirror they found and how when Tamlen touched it, it appeared to know they were there. The keeper hummed to herself.

"A mirror, and it caused all this? I have never heard of such a thing in all our lore." Marethari said. "I was hoping for more answers when you awoke. But alas, more questions." The keeper sighed. "Still Tamlen is more important than any ruins. We cannot count on Duncan to search for him. Do you feel well enough to show us the way to the cave,_Da'len_? Without you we will not find it in time." Sabari could hear the worriment in her voice.

"I am up to it Keeper, I feel fine." Sabari answered in a bright voice, trying to hide her exhaustion. Natu turned his amber eyes to her and whined lowly and Sabari played with the tuft of black fur on his ear. Marethari smiled at the wolf. _Such an intelligent creature._

"I am ordering the clan to pack up, we are moving north. Take Merril with you to the cave find Tamlen if you can, but do it swiftly," the keeper said abruptly. Now it was Sabari's turn to be surprised.

"North? But why?" Sabari asked astonishment evident in her tone.

"If what Duncan says is true and there are darkspawn in the area,they will soon be here. We must move north,but that's not our only concern. The village to the east is in an uproar, our scouts say two shemlen disappeared two days ago. Do you know of this?" Marethari asked her tone turning serious. Sabari looked at her boots.

"Tamlen and I killed two shemlen, that is how we found out about the cave." Sabari murmured. She thought back to the encounter, perhaps it was a bit reckless of them to murder the shems but Tamlen said that they had a duty to protect the clan – still killing them seemed to have brought more trouble.

Marethari nodded as if she already knew. "As I feared, you have stirred up a hornets nest. The village people blame us. Our people are not welcome here any longer, much like we are shunned nearly everywhere." Marethari said regretfully. Sabari hung her head, feeling ashamed of herself.

"I will take my leave, Keeper if you will permit it, while we still have daylight." Sabari asked her elder.

"Go quickly, for Tamlen's life hangs in the balance."

Sabari brought her hands together and inclined her head respectfully to Marethari. With that she turned and headed out of camp, her canine companion trotting beside her.

As Sabari trudged through camp, Merrill approached her. "The keeper tells me I am to accompany you back to the ruins. Seeing as I am the keeper's apprentice I may find something you missed." Merrill declared.

_Something I missed,_Sabari thought bitterly.

"Of course, finding Tamlen is our main objective so let us make haste, he may not have much time."

Sabari shook her head at the older woman's snippety tone. Sabari wasn't overly fond of Merrill She had come from another clan during the last clan-meet, with a bit of a stick up her arse Sabari thought. Merrill was only a few years older than herself but the girl had no sense of fun. Merrill was always skulking about when her and Tamlen would be involved in some sort of mischief, she would be the first to tattle to the keeper. Like the time her and Tamlen were sneaking out of camp, to go swimming under the hunters moon, but Merrill had somehow heard of their plan and had installed herself by the very oak tree they had planned to sneak out by. Such a lecture her and Tamlen had received about how they had not even done their _vallas'lin_ yet.

"Come if you must, Merrill" Sabari said flippantly.

Sabari quickly retraced her steps through the forest: the forest that had seemed so vibrant and alive two days ago - now it felt dark and angry to her. They reached the riverbank where her and Tamlen had swum. It felt like years had passed since that day,Sabari felt a tugging at her heart. Just then an arrow whizzed past her face. Sabari snapped out of her memories as Natu uttered a deep growl - in time to see a hideous creature running towards her. An awful high-pitched shriek assaulted her ears as the short, stout and pig-eared beast hurtled toward her. Sabari pulled her sword from its sheath and locked blades with the fiend. The monsters head only came as high as her shoulders but it was strong for its size. They clashed blades for a few minutes and Sabari wasted no time in decapitating the foul thing. She looked over to see Natu tearing out another monsters throat. Sabari ran over to her friend to see if he was alright and laughed a bit as the wolf spit the gore on the ground with a hacking sound.

"Do they taste as bad as they smell?" She asked the silver wolf giving him a pat on the head. Natu grumbled deep in his throat showing his disgust. Sabari giggled.

"What were those things? Darkspawn?" Merrill asked, rushing over to the pair.

"You're asking me?"Sabari replied dryly. Merrill's dark eyes were wide with fear.

"I've never seen anything like them before, you-you can smell the evil on them. Where did they come from? Were they here before?" Merrill questioned her rapidly.

"I'm pretty sure I would have noticed them before." Sabari said,but her sarcasm fell on deaf ears.

"I don't see what our people have to do with the darkspawn. It is said that Arlathan fell hundreds of years before the first blight." Merrill continued.

"Well... they are here now which means we will have _everything_ to do with them." Sabari replied.

"Are you feeling okay Sabari? Were you hurt in the battle?" Merrill asked turning to face the dark haired elf. Sabari scoffed.

"That thing was too slow to land a blow on me."

"Well, it's just you're quite pale. You look feverish, in fact." Merrill insisted. Sabari shook her head.

"I'm fine, let's just move on," Sabari reestablished.

The group waded across the river to reach the cave. Merrill made a fuss about getting her robes wet. _Mages__, _Sabari thought rolling her eyes. As they neared the entrance to the cave, Merrill held her hand up to stop Sabari.

___What now? Doesn't she realize Tamlen is closer to death with every second we waste? _Sabari could feel her frustration rising.

"Do you hear that?" Merrill asked her quietly. Sabari stopped to listen: not a single forest creature was making a sound.

"The forest is too still." Sabari replied. Normally the forest was teeming with melodious sounds of the larks, the chipper song from the tiny sparrow, the occasional cry of a hawk – even the squirrels were quiet. The silence made Sabari uneasy.

"There's something in the air, something unnatural." Merril added. "It seems whatever you woke up in that cave has spread outside. The sooner we find Tamlen, the sooner we can leave." Sabari nodded in acknowledgment as she showed Merril to the entrance.

Sabari shivered as her and Merrill entered the cave. They walked quickly through the tunnel, though Sabari's feet felt like they were made of stone. Even though there was pain in her heart, the sight of the ruins still took her breath away. "Definitely human origin but with elven artifacts, how intriguing." Merrill prattled on. Sabari was lost in her own memory of this moment only two days ago. Natu whimpered and nuzzled his mistress's hand, he could sense her despair. Sabari looked down smiling at the wolf, his mottled gray fur illuminated in the pale blue light. "But we must find Tamlen," Sabari tuned back in to what Merrill was saying. "-or at least what is left of him. I can't imagine he is still alive with these creatures about." Sabari's green eyes widened in disbelief at what Merrill was implying.

"Don't talk like that Merrill! You weren't here with us – you don't know _anything_!" Sabari shouted at the ebony haired elf. Merrill's expression softened, she had forgotten how close the girl was to Tamlen.

"_Falon_, forgive me. You are right, I shouldn't talk like that." Merril said apologetically. Sabari said nothing to her in return, she was feeling very dizzy. Merril reached out and grabbed her slim arm to steady her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Merril asked, concerned. Sabari noticed the worried look in her eyes and nodded.

"I'm fine, just worried. Let's just go." Sabari replied in a shaky voice. She quickly retraced her steps through the old ruins to the room where the mirror was. On their way back there, Sabari noticed more of those creature's corpses littered on the stone floor. _The grey warden must have been here, _she surmised. Sabari opened the door to the room, her hand trembling a bit. All she could think of were Tamlen's screams. A man stood alone in the room facing the mirror. Sabari felt her stomach sink: there was no sign of Tamlen. The human turned around slowly to face them, Natu wagged his tail and ran happily up to the man. Sabari watched the wolf, narrowing her eyes with interest.

_Traitor. _She thought with a smirk. _It is rare for Natu to trust a stranger so implicitly though, if he trusts him than I must also put my prejudice aside. _

"You must be Duncan, the grey warden who saved me." Sabari said in a steady voice, stronger then she really felt. As Duncan came closer to her, Sabari could see a kindness in the man's dark brown eyes - a kindness she had never seen in a human before.

"Yes, I found you while wandering in the forest. Your friend there is a remarkable animal." Duncan replied pleasantly.

___What an odd human._

"I am surprised you have recovered," Duncan continued. "What is your name?"

"You may call me Sabari." the raven haired girl replied coolly, her lips twisting into a half-hearted smile. Duncan returned the smile as he took in the girl's appearance: tousled, ebony hair framed her tanned face. Her eyes were a pale, jade-green. A dark, swirling tattoo above her brow trailed down toward her high cheekbones - a straight nose and full lips tied her features together perfectly.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. The last time we spoke you were barely conscious," He said warmly.

_"Andaran atish'an,_ Duncan of the Gray Wardens. I am Merrill, the Keeper's apprentice." said Merrill, stepping forward to introduce herself.

"Your keeper didn't send you after me did she? I told her I would be in no danger." Duncan asked her quietly.

"No," Sabari answered quickly. "We are looking for my- my clan mate, Tamlen."

"So you and your friend Tamlen both entered the cave and came across this mirror?" Duncan asked her, his face grew serious again.

"Yes, we found the mirror, then Tamlen touched it and I blacked out." Sabari told him, worry quivering in her voice.

"I see... that is unfortunate." Duncan replied grimly. Sabari looked at him, eyes shining with questions.

"We grey wardens come across artifacts like these from time to time. It is Tevinter in origin and very old. I believe it was used for communication," Duncan explained carefully. "Over time these things broke, it has become tainted with the same foul evil as the darkspawn. Tamlen's touch must have unleashed it..." Sabari turned her focus to the mirror. How she wished they had never came to this poisonous place to begin with.

"It is what made you sick, and Tamlen too, I presume." Duncan finished telling her. Duncan watched the elf think, he could see her eyes darkening.

"Then we must destroy it," Sabari concluded. Duncan nodded his head. "I agree. As long the mirror exists it is a threat to anyone nearby."

Merrill looked at the both of them. "I do not fear the mirror - the keeper knows how to cure it's disease." she raised her head defiantly.

"She may have weakened it, but she cannot cure it." Duncan interjected. "Your recovery is only temporary. I can sense the sickness in you. Look inside yourself and you will see." He told Sabari, giving her a grieved look. Sabari knew he was right, she could feel it herself. Twisting tendrils of darkness and the pain deep within her, clawing at her soul, longing to escape.

"What should I do?" She asked softly as she looked up at the tall dark haired man.

"First we will deal with the mirror, it is a pestilence and a threat to anyone nearby." Duncan unsheathed his great-sword and brought it down on the mirror, shattering it into a thousand glittering pieces.

"It is done." He stated darkly. Sabari stared at the broken mirror for a long moment; it was hard to believe it was the cause of this.

"Now let us leave this cursed place. I must speak with your keeper immediately regarding your cure."

"But… what of Tamlen?" The raven haired elf almost shouted at him. Duncan looked at her with sorrow in his eyes.

"There is nothing we can do." He told her quietly.

"B-but I'm still alive, he could be too!" Sabari pleaded. Natu whined beside his mistress, feeling her despair.

"Let me be very clear when I say there is nothing you can do," Duncan said gently. "He has been tainted for three days now, unaided. You are only alive because of your Keeper's magic and through sheer will of your own. Trust me when I say he is gone." he finished explaining sadly.

"W-wouldn't there at least be a body?" She stammered weakly, Sabari felt the room start to spin.

"The darkspawn would've taken it." Duncan replied simply. Natu snarled at the mention of the darkspawn. Sabari felt ill.

"Taken it... where would they have taken it?" She asked in disbelief. Merrill's heart went out to the girl, amazed she was still able to stand after hearing the devastating truth.

"Darkspawn are evil creatures and its best to leave it at that. I am sorry." Sabari felt the man place his hand on her small shoulder, oddly comforted by it. She could hear the sorrow in his voice, she had never known shemlen to exhibit compassion.

"Very well. Let's return to camp." Sabari said, her voice barely a whisper. She hung her head as the tears started stinging her eyes. _Not here,_she thought. _Not in front__ of everyone._

_"_I sense no other darkspawn about, so it is safe. Lead on." and with that they left the chamber. Though the thought of those vile creatures being gone should have been comforting, Sabari only felt the icy grip of grief and helplessness ensnare her heart as they began to walk back to camp.


	4. Chapter 4

Keeper Marethari was waiting at the edge of camp when the group returned. Her wizened features broke into a smile of relief upon seeing her Da'vehen return.

"I am relieved to have you both back," Marethari greeted them warmly. "And, I did not expect to see you again so soon, Duncan."

Duncan gave her a brief smile. "I did not expect to be back so soon, either."

"Dare I ask of Tamlen?" Marethari asked hesitantly. "What did you find of him?"

"Nothing...he is gone." Sabari felt her breath hitch as she tried to answer the keeper. Duncan placed a hand on her shoulders. It was a strange feeling to be comforted by a shem.

Marethari bowed her head in sorrow. "I see," she paused briefly. "What of the mirror,Merrill? Did you bring anything back?"

"I can answer for her," Duncan interjected before the elf could respond. "I destroyed it." The keeper furrowed her brow.

"I trust you had good reason. I had intended to use it to find a cure for the sickness that plagues Sabari." Marethari sternly told the warden.

"I did. There is much to discuss - have learned a great deal since I was last here," Duncan said. Sabari could hear the weariness in his voice.

"Then let us speak privately within my aravel, Duncan." Keeper Marethari turned to her apprentice and barked, "Merrill, warn the hunters, if these darkspawn are about I want the clan to be prepared."

"Ma Nuvenin, Keeper, right away." Merrill bowed her head and turned on her heel towards camp. Marethari turned to Sabari, and, in a gentler tone said, "_Da'len, _allow me some time to speak with Duncan. Seek me out later and we can discuss your cure."

"Why can't we discuss it now? I would like to be involved in discussions regarding myself." Sabari said crisply, her green eyes flashing.

Duncan turned his gaze to fierce little creature standing near him.

_I knew there was fire in there somewhere._

"I must speak with your keeper first." Duncan told her, trying not to sound condescending. Sabari shot him a glare.

"Why don't you go speak with Hahren Paivel - after all, he now has the sad task of preparing a service for the dead," Marethari suggested gently. Sabari cast her eyes down - her heart felt like it had been pierced by her own sword and somebody continually twisted it.

"As you wish, Keeper." Her voice was hollow as she headed off to find Hahren Paivel. Sabari was lost in her own thoughts as she drifted through camp,hardly taking notice of her clan mates preparing to move. Tamlen was gone - that much she was certain of - and because of this sickness she could possibly die too. She cursed herself for her folly. She found Hahren Paivel tending to the fire in the center of camp, entertaining the children with stories of days long past. He looked up as she approached him, his face somber.

"So, you return with the Warden, but not Tamlen. What happened? Is he truly lost to us?" He asked Sabari softly.

"Yes Hahren," Sabari answered him, her eyes glistening. "He is dead, and it is all my fault. I failed the clan...I failed Tamlen." Her voice raw with grief at the overt reminder of these tragic recent events.

"You've done nothing of the sort, _Da'len_," He said in a comforting voice. "One can excuse your youth, yet sadly, poor Tamlen paid the price," he finished sadly.

"Will you prepare a funereal for Tamlen...please?" Sabari asked the elder weakly. She could feel the darkness inside her, twisting its way through her veins.

"Of course, we have no body to return to the soil, but we shall still sing for Tamlen. The creators must come to guide him to the beyond," he assured the forlorn girl.

"_Ma'seranas __Hahren," _she replied quietly before drifting off again, feeling lost to the world.

As Sabari walked through the camp that had been her home for the last five years, she spotted Duncan conversing with the clan messenger. She overheard that he wanted to send a message back to Ostagar. The messenger, agreeing to the request, tied a small piece of parchment to his beloved russet feathered hawk. Sabari strained her pointed ears to hear more, but all she could make out was the messenger telling the hawk the name of his target: Alistair.

Shrugging indifferently she continued on her way to the keeper's aravel. Sabari was stopped countless times by her clan-mates, either offering their condolences or pelting her with questions.

_Oh good they must be done planning my future now, _she thought dryly.

Upon her arrival, Duncan smiled warmly at her,

"Your keeper and I have come to an arrangement that concerns you." Duncan announced.

"I _do _hope it is something interesting - I've been so bored." Sabari quipped, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Joining the ranks of the Grey Wardens is unique to each person who is considered worthy – to some a blessing and to others a burden. My order is in need of recruits, you're in need of a cure. When I leave.. I hope you join me." Duncan told her serenely. Sabari closed her mouth, she was taken aback: she had not been expecting this – thought it seemed fitting - exiled amongst the shemlen was an appropriate punishment for Tamlen's death.

"You have been poisoned by the same taint the darkspawn carry - the fact that you recovered at all is remarkable. But eventually, the taint will sicken and kill you - or worse." Duncan continued while the raven-haired elf had remained aloof. Sabari looked at him, squaring her small shoulders.

"If you are asking me to join out of pity, I will not." She said crisply. Duncan chuckled softly at her attempt at hostility.

"Oh, this is not charity on my part. I would not offer if I did not think you had the makings of a Grey Warden." He replied decisively.

"Let me be clear," He continued in a gentler tone, You will likely never return here. We go to fight the darkspawn, a battle that will take you far away from your clan. But we need you, and others like you." Sabari stared at him for a moment, trying to hate him, but she couldn't. She then turned her gaze to her keeper.

"Am I to be a Grey Warden, Keeper?" She asked hesitantly. Marethari fixed her misty eyes on the young elf.

"Yes, _Da'len__. _It breaks my heart to send you away, as it would break my heart to watch you die from this sickness. This is your duty and your salvation." Marethari told her with tears in her eyes. Sabari blinked back her own tears and faced Duncan.

"Then I accept your offer, Duncan of the Grey Wardens." Sabari said pressing her palms together and bowing her head respectfully.

"Then let me be the first to welcome you to the order." Duncan said as he crossed his forearms and bowed to her. Sabari stifled a laugh - never had she had a shem bow to her before.

"It is quite rare to have a Dalish amongst us, but they have always served with distinction." He said happily. Sabari gave him a ruminative smile.

"This ring was your fathers _Da'len__, _take it. It is your heritage and will serve you well in the dark days to come," Marethari said, handing her the simple silverite band. Sabari was speechless again - she hoped this wouldn't become a trend. With gratitude in her eyes, she slipped the ring onto her slender index finger.

"A valuable gift," said Duncan. "Are you ready to go?" Sabari nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Then say your farewells and let us be off. We have much ground to cover."

"Come then _Da'len__. _Before the creators guide you from us, let your clan embrace you one last time." Marethari said wistfully.

This was it, she was leaving.

As Sabari packed her few belongings, she realized that she had no keepsake to remind her of Tamlen. Her heart clenched with sadness, and she promised herself that she would never forget him. With a sigh, she slung her pack over her shoulder and left her aravel for the last time. She headed towards the center of camp and was joined by her gray lupine companion. All at once, Sabari was surrounded by the elves she loved: her family. Their encouraging words blended together, washing over her with love and compassion but she had never felt more alone. She looked out across the sea of caring faces, scanning for the one face she hoped would appear – the man with the familiar smirk, there to apologize for taking the prank too far. But no, he was gone...Finally she made her way to Duncan.

"I am ready." She told him, her voice quivering a little. The wolf licked her hand reassuringly. With a heavy heart and tears threatening to fall, she gave one last look to her clan before heading into the forest.

"We will be traveling south though the Hinterlands to the ruins of Ostagar, on the edges of the Kocari Wilds. The Tevinter Imperium built Ostagar long ago to prevent the wilds from invading the northern lowlands." Duncan explained to the elf as they left the forest. Sabari fixed the Warden with a smile after his brief history lesson, trying to appear cheerful – but inside she felt like her stomach was tying itself into knots – she was unsure if it was the sickness or her apprehension about leaving the forest.

"Will we be walking to Ostagar?" Sabari asked him. Duncan shook his head with a laugh.

"No, we will be riding. It is much faster," he replied, gesturing towards his bay mare who was grazing complacently in the meadow.

"On a horse?" Sabari exclaimed, her pale green eyes widening at the sight of the animal. She had never been near a horse – let alone ridden one. It was not merely the size of the horses that made Sabari nervous – they were far larger than the familiar halla she had grown up around – but what they represented. As a child, she vividly remembered the flash of a horse's tail as its human owner had coaxed it into a gallop, moments after brutally murdering her parents. The thought of riding such a beast chilled her soul.

"Yes, unless you have an alternative mode of transportation?"

Sabari scowled at the older man, who gave her a serene smile in return. The horse nickered happily at the sight of Duncan and trotted over to him. Sabari eyed the beast distrustfully. Natu was looking at the horse, trying to figure out if this was supposed to be supper or not. Duncan rubbed the mare's soft muzzle, talking gently to her. He motioned for Sabari to come closer. She treaded slowly towards the animal, and when she stood in front of it she mimicked Duncan and stroked the mare's velvety nose hesitantly.

_This isn't so bad._

The horse snorted at her touch, spraying her with a fine mist of mucus. Sabari yelped and jumped back with a look of disgust.

"To the void with that!" She shouted. The Warden tried to repress his chuckle but ended up laughing loudly at her outrage.

"Don't worry, she only sneezed – horse saliva is not poisonous." He explained, still laughing. "Now, we should be on our way while we still have light. Do you want me to give you a leg up?"

"I will manage on my own." Sabari replied walking with forced confidence up to the large animal. She put her left foot in the stirrup, and clumsily hoisted her tiny frame up onto the mare. Once she was settled, she shot Duncan a triumphant smirk. Duncan gracefully hopped into the saddle in front of her, muttered something quietly to the bay horse, and off they went. They set off south, in the direction of the Hinterlands at a brisk trot, the gray wolf loping easily beside them.

_It's going to be a long ride, _she thought grumpily as she bounced around on the back of the horse.


	5. Chapter 5

Ostagar was swaddled in a veil of ethereal vapor that twisted and coiled in delight as its ghostly scarves wrapped the camp in a maze of mist. Alistair leaned against an old pillar, hoping to gain some shelter from the drizzle that was falling from the dark, puffy clouds above. He looked down at the piece of parchment in his hands that he had acquired in a rather strange way:

He had been practicing his swordplay with Erik - fellow warden - when he had been startled by a large, red-feathered hawk swooping down at him. Catching him off-guard as it tried to land on his armor-clad shoulder, Alistair tumbled to the ground. The hawk proceeded to land in front of him and began hopping around, scolding him with a shrill _chwirk chwirk! _Erik couldn't contain his laughter at the sight of the tall, ex-templar falling over in terror.

"You should have seen your face, Alistair! You looked like the archdemon itself was upon you!" Erik exclaimed, wiping the mirthful tears from his crystal blue eyes.

"Ha ha! You're so funny. How do you know this isn't some sort of blighted _dreadhawk_ sent to spread a pestilence upon the wardens?" Alistair asked his friend sarcastically as he bent down to look at the curious bird, he noticed a scroll attached to its scaly, yellow leg with his name scrawled on it.

_That looks like Duncan's writing!_

The hawk screeched loudly as Alistair worked to untie the small scroll from the bird's clawed foot.

"See...listen to it shriek at me with murder in its eyes." Alistair said with a shudder to Erik, who just laughed harder, warranting a scowl from Alistair. As soon as he removed the scroll from the bird's leg, it took flight. The two young wardens heard one last mournful cry before the hawk disappeared into the fog.

"Never a dull moment around here," Alistair declared as he looked at the mysterious scroll.

"Are you planning on opening it, or are you just going to stare at it until it offers you a drink?" Erik prodded his fellow warden.

"I was rather hoping it would, I _am _thirsty," Alistair replied curtly as he unrolled the letter. His topaz eyes widened as he scanned the parchment quickly.

_Alistair,  
I hope this message finds you in good form.  
The evil I suspected existed in the Brecilian Forest has been dealt with  
I will also be bringing back with me our newest recruit: Dalish elf.  
Her name is Sabari Mahariel - she has quite impressed me with her mental and emotional strength in the face of adversity. I will leave it up to you to inform the others of our new arrival.  
I will be leaving shortly after sending this message.  
Maker guide you,  
Duncan_

_A female warden… I wonder what that will be like? _Alistair thought as he folded up the letter and placed it in his pack.

"So, who was it from? Was it a letter from a secret admirer? What did she say?" Erik questioned him eagerly.

"I don't believe Duncan fancies men, so I doubt he's secretly sweet on me, but he _did_ say he found a new recruit," Alistair replied, rolling his eyes at his red-haired friend.

"Ooh, a new recruit?"

"Yes, some Dalish girl."

"What? A Dalish?" Erik's face grew into a toothy grin. "You'd better watch out, Alistair."

"Why should I watch out?" Alistair asked, unsure of his fellow warden's meaning.

"Well, I've heard that the Dalish women are very promiscuous, and if that's true, she'd probably be able to smell your virginity a mile away! She'll pounce on you like a bitch in heat!" Erik explained with a roar of laughter.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny," said Alistair, his ears burning with embarrassment. He decided to reply with his usual tactic of humor to diffuse the situation followed by a completely different observation. "See, Erik, she'll only be pouncing on _me _because I'm so sensitive, cultured, and good-looking. Say! Aren't elves normally quite pretty?"

"Oh ho! Not the Dalish women! I hear they're sturdy as oxen with faces to match!" replied Erik, roaring with laughter. Alistair was pleased to note that his strategy seemed to have worked, as there hadn't been another mention of his virtue.

"What? You mean they all resemble _you_?" Alistair goaded, waggling his eyebrows at Erik. "Well, I didn't want to be the one to tell you, but every man, woman, and elf in the camp is secretly sweet on you for these exact features of yours! Who knew that it all came down to your resemblance of the Dalish?"

Both men laughed, and Erik wandered off, claiming he was hungry.

A cold rain droplet shocked Alistair from his thoughts, and he re-read the letter from Duncan one last time before heading back to the warden's camp.

_Sabari Mahariel, now that's a mouthful. _He thought as he walked toward the camp, hoping that the inside of his tent had remained dry. He was not looking forward to telling the other wardens of the new recruit – especially if their reactions would be similar to that of Erik. Normally, Alistair didn't get embarrassed easily, but when it came to the subject of his...sheltered life at the chantry, he tended to get a bit flustered and his comrades loved to tease him for it.

_It's not as if I had any choice in the matter – besides, I just haven't found the right woman yet. _Alistair frowned as he thought about how the men would laugh even harder if he told them that – most of them seemed to think that, as fabled warriors, they should bed as many women as possible in their relatively short lives. Alistair was completely lost in his thoughts, and wasn't watching where he was walking when he crashed right into King Cailan as he rounded the corner to camp. Apologizing profusely, he helped the fair haired king off the ground.

"Don't worry Alistair, no harm done." Cailan laughed, his clear blue eyes smiling as he brushed himself off. "Have you heard word from Duncan at all? I'm beginning to think he found the archdemon on his own and plans to hog all the glory!"

"Well, he hasn't found an archdemon _yet_, but he has found a new recruit - an elven girl." Alistair told the king.

"A new recruit!" Cailan practically squealed in delight. "That's great news - that puts you at three recruits - excellent!"

"Er...yes. The more the merrier."

"Did he mention when he would be returning? Loghain desperately wants to hold another one of his boring strategy counsels – I've been putting him off, though, until Duncan returns." The king ran a hand through his shoulder length blonde hair.

"Well, I received the message today, by a hawk of all things-"

"A hawk? Maker's breath, now _there's_ something you don't see everyday! That sounds very regal... perhaps I should have my messengers stop using ravens and train a couple hawks instead." Cailan interrupted the young warden, a smile forming on his thin lips.

"Yes, that does sound a very kingly thing to do. Like I was saying, I received the message today, so I bet Duncan will arrive sometime tomorrow." Alistair finished quickly, hoping to be on his way soon – he was hungry and there was some stilton cheese he could practically hear calling his name.

"Glorious, I wait anxiously for his arrival," Cailan chirped. "I guess I should be going, I'm supposed be writing a letter to Anora - she gets awfully cross if I don't write to her every other day. _Women_... you know how they get. Farewell, Alistair." The king shook his head as he walked off toward his tent.

Alistair sighed happily as he sat down on his bedroll – it was still dry. He had told the other men about the new recruit, and didn't linger after supper like he normally did to listen to them sing their bawdy songs as they drank and caroused through the evening hours - he suspected he would end up being the butt of more than a few of their jokes. Not being in the mood for teasing this evening, he had opted to go back to his tent, and was quite comfortable where he was now - in bed, snacking on his favorite cheese and enjoying its strong, nutty flavor. He wondered what the new recruit would be like and if having a woman in the wardens would change much – he hoped not - he rather liked the camaraderie within the order. He wondered if she would truly look like an ox, or if she would be pretty - he hoped the latter. Alistair felt his muscles relaxing as his mind slowly succumbed to the soft, gauzy haze as he entered the Fade for the night.

* * *

_**A/N : Oh Alistair, so delightfully innocent. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, if you enjoyed it as much as I do, leave a teensy review to let me know. Reviews make my heart happy! :) Thanks Kyla Baines for helping me channel my inner Alistair!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Swathed in radiant sunlight, the tiered tower of Ostagar cut into the azure sky. At the sight of the aged ruins amidst the boggy marshland, Sabari felt relief wash over her like a gentle wave from a calm sea. They had only stopped once yesterday and it wasn't until late into the night. Even though Sabari wasn't exerting herself much – She was really starting to notice the taint burning through her veins, weakening her like it was a slow-working poison. As they reached the high gates to the ruined fortress, a group of soldiers led by a fair-haired man in pristine golden armor approached them. Sabari had never seen such armor before, and wondered how he would be able to fight in it – it looked as if the weight would be more burden than the protection it offered was worth.

_Not very practical,_ she mused.

"Ho there, Duncan!" The golden man shouted at them.

"King Cailen," Duncan said as they dismounted the horse to greet the soldiers. "I wasn't expecting-"

"A royal welcome?" The human king interrupted the senior warden. "I was beginning to think you would miss all the fun." The two men grasped hands.

_So this is the king of the shems_, Sabari thought as she appraised the man, squinting as his armor reflected the noonday sun. .

"I am here to stay now, your majesty. I had some business to attend to in the forest." Duncan explained to the king.

"Then I shall have the mighty Duncan by my side in battle, after all, Glorious!" The king declared with a big grin. "The wardens tell me you have found a new recruit; I take it this is she?" The king asked, turning his gaze to Sabari.

"Yes your majesty."

"Oh, there is no need to be so formal, Duncan; we will be shedding blood together, after all." King Cailan laughed. "Ho there, friend, might I know your name?"

"My name is Sabari." She said to him in a silky voice, inclining her head slightly. The king held her gaze for a moment.

_What a remarkable c__reature_. He found her tanned skin and large green eyes exotic.

After exchanging pleasantries, wherein Sabari discovered that the _Shem_ king thought that the darkspawn threat was minor and that he was positively _childish_, she was startled out of her own thoughts when he spoke directly to her. "I would enjoy the chance to speak again after the battle, miss. I'd greatly love to hear more about you – and your people, of course."

She could think of numerous remarks, but decided against sassing the shemlen king. She decided a simple: "Certainly," would do.

"Always a sucker for a pretty face, isn't he?" One of the king's soldiers rolled his eyes whispering to his comrade. "Just like his father, he is."

Sabari was certain they didn't know her keen elven ears had picked up the comment that surely the king hadn't heard.

"Now, I should get going, lest Loghain sends a search party for me. He desires to bore me with battle strategies," King Cailan fixed his bright blue eyes on Sabari, giving her his most charming smile before his men retreated behind the fortress's mottled stone walls.

"The king seems to think he has the darkspawn under control." She remarked, after she watched the procession leave.

"Despite the numerous victories so far, the darkspawn horde continues to grow. I know there is an archdemon behind it, but I can't ask the king to act solely on my suspicions." He explained.

"Why not? He seems to hold the wardens in high enough regard," Sabari cocked an eyebrow at the senior warden.

"Yet not enough to wait for our reinforcements from Orlais," said Duncan with a shrug. "The king seems to think our legend alone will make him invincible. We will have to count on Teryn Loghain's men to make up the difference. With that being said; we should begin the joining ritual without delay." Sabari nodded in agreement, curious to what sort of ritual this would be.

They had meandered into the camp while talking, and Sabari noted that Ostagar was bustling with preparations for the upcoming battle. Natu's dark gray ears were pricked in interest with all the sounds he heard, and his nose was sniffing non-stop as it was assaulted with hundreds of new scents.

"Is there anything you require me to do, Duncan?" Sabari asked the warden.

"Yes. I will take Natu to the kennel master - we will have to prepare him to fight the darkspawn. I assume it will be the same as preparing any war hound." The ashen wolf growled at the comparison. Sabari bent down to face him, "Don't worry, I know you are smarter than any dog," she reassured him, scratching his ears. The wolf swished his shaggy tail disdainfully.

"In the meantime," Duncan continued. "There is another grey warden here by the name of Alistair. Seek him out, and tell him to round up the other recruits."

_So, there are other recruits,_ she realized. She nodded her head and gave the wolf a gentle pat before setting off into the camp to find this "Alistair."

_Alistair…t__hese humans__ have the oddest na__mes, s_he thought to herself.

Sabari noticed there were not many elves around the camp, and the ones she did see were clearly servants.

_These elven servants are worse than the shems they serve. _Sabari fought the urge to shoot each of them a scornful look as she passed them. It had been city elves that had sold themselves into servitude who gave her mother and father's position away to their human masters. It had been those _traitors_ to their own kind that sentenced her beloved, free parents to a horrific death.

Sabari was lost in her own thoughts and didn't notice the tall man in silver armor until he stuck out his arm to block her way. She almost drew her sword, but remembered where she was, and that these _shems_were now her allies of sorts.

"You can't go down that way, luv' - the mages are at work and they're not to be bothered," the armor-clad man told her in a sniveling voice. Sabari gave him a withering look and walked away. She soaked in the sights of the war camp as she wandered further into it. She passed by a small group of humans bent on one knee in front of a woman who was wearing a crimson and peach silk robe with a large sunburst symbol on the front. Sabari guessed the woman was some sort of religious figure as she listened in on her prattling on about their god, The Maker.

She walked up a flight of stairs and took notice of a group of armored soldiers that passed her. Sabari looked at her own simple armor, and came to the conclusion that she was under-dressed. As she rounded the corner at the top of the steps, she heard quarreling voices of two men.

"I simply came to deliver a message from the Revered Mother. She requests your presence." a tall man wearing worn splint mail said cheerfully. The other man was clearly a mage judging by his choice of attire; a silver threaded blue robe.

"Haven't we helped the grey wardens enough? We **_are_**here on the kings orders, you know," the balding mage replied in a rather snippy tone. Sabari watched the encounter with interest.

"Should I have gotten a note?" the armored man asked, grinning.

_He is __clearly enjoying himself,_ Sabari noted. The mage's face was turning a light shade of pink.

"I will n-not be harassed in this manner!" the mage sputtered.

"Right, **_I_**was harassing **_you_**by delivering a message," the man told the mage sarcastically. Sabari found herself trying not to laugh. Instead, she focused on the young man wearing the armor: at first glance she could see he was built like a warrior, his stance hinted at a muscular body beneath all the armor. Sabari decided that he was handsome – for a human. She liked how the midday sun illuminated his sandy brown hair; it reminded her of living by the see.

"Your glibness does you no credit!" The mage shouted angrily.

"And here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name one of my children after you... the _grumpy_one." The sandy haired warrior sighed dramatically.

"Fine, I will speak to the Revered Mother if I must," the mage said with a nasty scowl on his face as he turned to walk away. Sabari couldn't contain herself any longer and let out a laugh as the mage huffed past her.

IOI

_Mage's have the worst sense of humor, _Alistair thought as he watched the man storm off.

He didn't notice the girl standing there until he heard the peal of silvery laughter. He turned his head to find the source, and was astonished to find in front of him the most striking girl he'd ever seen. Her large eyes were the color of jade flecked with orange around the pupils. Alistair noticed the girl was giving him an odd look.

_Say something you fool,_he chastised himself.

"You know... one good thing about the blight is how it brings people together." He attempted humor.

_That sounded much better in my head, _Alistair winced inwardly.

"You are a strange _human_," she said, fixing those piercing eyes on him. He realized upon hearing her refer to him as a human that she must be an elf. At first glance, he hadn't noticed her pointed ears, as her raven hair cascaded down her shoulders, partially covering them.

"You're not the first woman to tell me that," Alistair replied with a grin. "Wait, we haven't met, have we?" He definitely would have remembered if they had.

"I don't suppose you're another mage, are you?" he asked her in a mock-accusatory tone.

"Would you name one of your future children after me if I was?" She asked him, a smile playing on her cherry lips. Alistair ran a hand through his hair.

"Ah, you heard that, did you?" The elf nodded her head yes in agreement.

"Well, if you couldn't tell by my attire, allow me to reassure you, I am no mage." the tiny elf told him. He found her thick accent appealing - it wasn't Orlesian, but something more wild – dangerous even. He noticed that, although the garb was rather masculine, it was crafted as if it was meant to be her second skin. The supple leather clung to her small frame, accentuating a tiny waist that flared out to shapely hips. Her lithe legs were toned and encased in skintight, beige deerskin. Though he had no doubt the elven armor served its purpose, Alistair was keenly aware that it was a female – and _very_ well formed one, at that – who wore it.

_Alright Alistair, stop staring._

"Less yelling at me, then, although the day_ is_ still young," he chuckled, picking a spot on her forehead to focus on. Judging by the intricate tattoo above her eyebrows, he thought she must be Dalish, and there was nothing oxen about her at all.

_Duncan's new recruit was supposed to be Dalish! _He cursed himself for being so distracted by her beauty.

He met the elf's eyes again to find she was giving him that funny look again.

"You must be Duncan's new recruit, the Dalish. I'm sorry, I should have recognized you," he told her apologetically.

"How would you recognize me, as we just met?" the elf asked, narrowing her jade eyes.

"Duncan sent word, he spoke quite highly of you," Alistair told her hastily.

"I am flattered he would do so." The elf said, inclining her dark head.

"I'm Alistair, though I'm sure you've figured that out already. As the junior member of the order I will be accompanying you while you prepare for the joining," he explained to her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Alistair."

Alistair's heart skipped a beat – he had never heard his name said quite that way before. He wrapped his mind around the smoke tone and sultry accent – _Ah-lee-stare_ – no person he had met had pronounced it, or rolled the "r's" across their tongue, in such an alluring manner, before. He took several steadying breaths, not trusting himself to speak.

It was the elven beauty, though, who saved him from the trouble of remembering _her_ name. She cocked her head at him, eyes piercing his own. The faintest smile appeared on her face. "You may call me Sabari."


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N : Thanks for all the reads, reviews and follows! Here is your usual Elvish translation :  
Emma'vhenan - my heart**_

* * *

Sabari stared at Alistair a long moment. She could see the same kindness in his warm topaz eyes that Duncan had.

_Maybe it won't be all bad living amongst__ the Wardens._

"You know it just occurred to me that there haven't been many women in the grey wardens. I wonder why that is?" Alistair rocked on the balls of his feet while scratching his chin pensively.

"Do you want _more_ women in the grey wardens?" Sabari asked him innocently.

"Yes.. well no…um, maybe?" Alistair stumbled over his words. Maker, he was acting foolishly. "Would it really be so terrible? Not that I'm some drooling lecher."

Sabari raised an eyebrow.

"_Please stop looking at me like that!_" he pleaded. Sabari giggled at his obvious discomfort while Alistair smiled foolishly at the lilting cadence of her voice..

_I could spend the rest of my life listening to that laugh and not a second would be wasted...Ugh stop it, what would Duncan think if he saw me acting like some besotted schoolboy - I'm not supposed to get attached to the new recruits! _

"So, I'm curious, have you ever encountered darkspawn before?" Alistair asked her, motioning for her to follow him back toward the encampment.

"Yes," Sabari replied slowly, falling in step beside him. "Quite recently, in fact."

"Did you find them as monstrous as I did?" He probed, curious.

"That depends…how monstrous did you find them?" She deflected. Alistair took notice of the sun starting its descent.

"Not as monstrous as Duncan will be if I don't round up the other recruits before nightfall."

"I do not think I would want to see Duncan angry," Sabari mused.

"Neither do I, let's go find the other recruits then," Alistair agreed. As Alistair walked beside her, a scent wafted his way - surely the exotic scent was coming from her. It reminded him vaguely of the forest just after rainfall when everything was cool and fresh. He found it most pleasing.

IOI

They found one recruit at the pavilion that was being used for a make-shift chantry, his head bowed in prayer. He introduced himself to Sabari as Ser Jory of Redcliffe.

"You may call me Sabari." She told the middle aged man imperiously. Alistair found he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off the ebony-haired elf. He was growing nervous about the upcoming ritual - he didn't want any harm to come to her.

"-I've never met a Dalish before. How's it Duncan came to recruit you?" Ser Jory asked Sabari with interest.

"He happened to be in the right place at the right time. The gods smiled on me that day - he saved my life," she briefly explained to the knight before dismissively inspecting her fingernail. Alistair perked up when he heard that. He wondered what Duncan had saved her from.

"Duncan has sent us to inform you we are starting preparations for the ritual soon. We are to meet him at his tent," Alistair told the knight. "Right, see you both there, then. Farewell m'lady." Ser Jory bowed slightly to Sabari.

Sabari felt a smile spread across her face. Twice in three days she had been bowed to by a human. The world must truly be coming to an end!

"What are you grinning about?" Alistair asked her.

"It's just...I've never been called 'm'lady' before," Sabari told him, feeling the pointy tips of her ears burn. "It is…different."

"Well if it fancies you, I could call you 'm'lady' from now on," Alistair chirped. Sabari made a face,

"I think you should continue calling me Sabari, lest the novelty wear off," she replied smoothly and walked out of the tent. Alistair watched her go for a moment, caught himself, and shuffled off after her.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," he started nervously, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, "but I overheard you say to Ser Jory that Duncan saved you. What did he save you from?" He asked her gently as they walked through a quiet part of camp. Sabari turned to look at him, her jade eyes etched with sorrow.

"I'm sorry to bring it up –we don't have to talk about it," he said, angry with himself for upsetting her. Sabari blinked back her tears - she hadn't cried since losing Tamlen, and she wouldn't now – to lose control and break down now would bring reality violently back. She wasn't ready for that, yet.

"I have been tainted by the darkspawn," she told him solemnly. Alistair just stared at her, unsure of what to say but upon closer examination he noticed the dark circles bruising her eyes, and the sallowness under her olive skin. He wondered how he didn't notice before,eventually coming to the conclusion that her beauty hid it well. Alistair's eyes widened as Sabari yanked up the sleeve of her tunic to show him the oozing lesions that polluted her arm.

"These are new today," she told him abruptly. Sabari paused for a moment,struggling to decide whether or not to tell this _shemlen, _whom she had just met, of her own personal tragedy. She gave the young man an appraising look before deciding that – against her better judgment – she liked him. Sabari told him how Tamlen and she had found the ruins, the walking corpses and that gods forsaken mirror.

"I told Tamlen to stay away from the mirror, but he did not listen." Sabari felt the stubborn tears threatening to rise again, but she blinked them back hard and continued. "I tried to stop him - I tried to pull him away b-but he cast me aside!" The tears stung her eyes now and she no longer could hold them back.

"He screamed for my help, but still, I could not move him! I failed him... he was my dearest friend, _emma vhenan,_ and I let him die at the hands of those monsters." Sabari's sobs racked her slight frame. Alistair instinctively pulled her into his strong embrace, feeling her body soften at his touch for only moment before she went rigid and pushed him away.

"Don't touch me!" Sabari snapped as she backed away from him, carefully reconstructing her mask of indifference, mortified that she had lost control in front of this..._shemlen_.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to lose my composure." She said, her voice hoarse as she wiped a stray tear from her eye with the sleeve of her tunic – she was feeling badly for shouting at him. Alistair stood dumbstruck for a moment, his body still tingling from when he had embraced her. He had never felt this way towards a woman before - he knew he liked women…Maker, he had seen many pretty women in Redcliffe - but none had affected him like this.

"So now you know I am sick - perhaps dying...I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the others," Sabari continued. Alistair longed to hold her again, to tell her that it would be alright - but the truth was, he didn't know if it would be.

"But wouldn't it be sort of fun to scare the others… we would eat like kings! 'Hey, you, unhand that rack of lamb or I'll send the Dalish ghoul after you!" Alistair made a growling sound to accompany his mock-ghoul face, hoping to see her smile again.

"I don't like lamb," Sabari told him, rewarding his efforts with a weak grin.

"Neither do I, but that's the beauty of the plan – we don't have to." Alistair hesitated briefly, fiddling with a buckle on his glove. "Your secret is safe with me."

"_Ma serrannas_…er, thank you. Now, let us go to Duncan, we've tarried too long." She set off in the direction of the wardens' camp. Alistair found himself almost sprinting to keep up.

_Maker she's fast._

_IOI._

They arrived at Duncan's tent to find Ser Jory and the other recruit – a rugged and swarthy man - already there waiting.

"Ah, you have arrived. I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you two," Duncan said, turning to look at the pair with questioning eyes.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting," Sabari said apologetically, pressing her palms together and bowing her head. She stumbled slightly as she went to take her place beside the rugged looking fellow. Alistair's hand was quick to steady her. She thanked him quietly and took her spot.

"Are you alright, miss?" Ser Jory asked her, concerned.

"I am fine, I just lost my footing," Sabari assured the knight, while, in truth, she was feeling a little bit dizzy.

"You have already met Ser Jory, the knight from Redcliffe. This is Daveth, a fellow from Denerim." Duncan introduced her to the dark-haired man.

"That's me, a 'fellow,'" Daveth said, turning to face the elf. "Charmed, m'lady." He took her hand and kissed it with a wink. Sabari pulled her hand back hastily.

Alistair gripped the handle of his dagger a bit tighter – he didn't like the way Daveth was looking at her, not one bit. It reminded him of the way the wild dogs back in Redcliffe would eye a hare or lamb they were about to chase. Daveth looked away from the pretty little elf to see the glare Alistair was giving him.

Daveth chuckled to himself, it seemed pretty boy had a crush.

"Now that we are all here, we can begin," Duncan started and all eyes turned to him.

"You four will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first will be to collect three vials of darkspawn blood, one for each recruit," he explained to them gravely.

"That will be a...messy task," Sabari remarked, wrinkling her nose.

"You've actually seen a darkspawn?" Daveth asked the elf incredulously. Sabari scoffed.

"Not only have I seen darkspawn, I have wet my blades with their foul blood," she boasted. "I look forward to doing it again, however, I do not relish the fact that we will have to drain their blood to put in vials. It will be an unpleasant task." Sabari grimaced at the thought.

"I was just saying to Duncan the other day, 'why don't we go on more flower picking missions' - those are my favorite," Alistair said lightly. Sabari gave him a questioning look before recognizing the humor. With a heavy sigh, Duncan ignored Alistair's comment - he had noticed the ardent gaze his young protege was fixing on the elf. He was unsure how to react to this and decided to bring it up to Alistair after the joining if need be.

"It has come to my attention that some scrolls have been left behind in one of our abandoned watchtowers. They have been magically sealed, so I doubt any harm has come to them," Duncan surveyed the group."Your second task will be to retrieve these scrolls."

"Right, collect darkspawn blood and find the treaties. Sounds easy enough." Daveth said with a grin.

"Duncan,what of Natu?" Sabari asked, wondering where her lupine friend was.

"Natu is recovering from his preparations for fighting darkspawn," Duncan told her.

"Recovering?" Sabari asked.

Alistair wondered what Natu was.

"Yes, in order to avoid being sickened from the darkspawn,we feed them Mabari biscuits coated in the blood of darkspawn. Natu did not find the biscuits to his taste, so we gave him a haunch of venison coated in the blood instead. He will be fine, but right now he is resting in my tent. I believe he finds my bedroll most comfortable," Duncan explained with a chuckle.

"If any of you need anything before you head out, I suggest you head to the quartermaster now," Duncan advised the recruits. Ser Jory and Daveth decided they should both purchase some poultices, and set off at a brisk pace. Sabari asked Duncan's permission to go see the wolf. Once she was inside the tent,

Alistair turned to Duncan and asked him, "You do know she is sick. Why are we making her come with us into the wilds?" he asked the warden-commander in an angry whisper. "What if she succumbs to the taint? What if I'm not close enough to help her? What if she gets hurt?" he asked rapidly.

Duncan gave the young man a gentle look -he had just confirmed Duncan's suspicions - it was quite obvious that Alistair was taken with the girl. Duncan was pleased he had found someone who could hold his attention, but this was hardly the time or place.

"Alistair, this is part of being a grey warden. We do what is best for Ferelden, not just one person," Duncan explained patiently. "Sabari is aware her life hangs in the balance. She is a strong young woman - allow her to be so."

"Couldn't she just stay here with you?" Alistair sighed worriedly.

"Do you really think she would?" Duncan asked, chuckling.

"Probably not," the young man conceded. "I'm sorry I lost my temper, Duncan, it's just-"

"I understand boy," Duncan interrupted him. "I'm not so old that I don't remember what you're going through. I know these are new experiences for you, Alistair."

"Don't say it like that. You make me sound like some little _child_ who's just discovered girls don't have the same parts as boys." said Alistair petulantly. Sabari stepped out of the tent, and Alistair pointedly looked at the fire. After Daveth and Ser Jory returned, Duncan sent the would-be wardens off with a simple: "Maker guide your paths."

IOI

Sabari reveled in the smell of the marshland - even its musky smell was better than that of the human camp.

"It is very quiet here, the animals have left the swamps as well, I see. It is the same as where I came from," Sabari noticed.

"The animals are much smarter then we are..." Daveth remarked. Alistair was silent, trying to focus on anything other than the small elf walking to the right of him. Sabari stopped suddenly, the group heard moaning up ahead. Ser Jory went to reach for his sword, but Sabari stopped him.

"It sounds human," she said, quietly darting off in the direction of the noise, hardly making a sound herself. As Alistair followed chased after the light-footed elf, the other two men close behind him, he hoped she wasn't running into an ambush. As they rounded a corner, they saw Sabari down on one knee, her head bent close to a man on the ground.

_It looks like he's already dead!_ Alistair wondered why she was bothering to whisper to a dead man – all the other bodies around him had clearly not moved for hours, or even days. As they moved closer, though, Alistair heard the man's weak voice, speaking to Sabari as if she were the best thing he had ever laid eyes on.

"W-we were attacked. My scouting party was ambushed, t-the darkspawn came out of the g-ground. I've got to get back to camp," the soldier said in a hoarse voice.

"We can take you back to camp. It is not far from here," Sabari said in a kind voice - _shem _or no _shem _she would not leave this poor man to die.

"You're a vision of Andraste herself, but if you could just bandage me..I- I could make it back on my own," the soldier told her, gratitude shining in his pain-filled eyes. Sabari used some bandages from her pack, her hands working quickly to patch the soldier up.

"Thank you for your kindness. Maker bless you."

Sabari watched the soldier stagger off towards the gates of Ostagar.

"Bleeding hell! The darkspawn laid waste to an entire patrol?" Ser Jory blurted out nervously.

"Calm down Ser Jory, we will be fine if we are careful," Alistair said, trying to reassure the knight.

"Those soldiers were careful and look what happened to them. How many darkspawn can the four of us hope to slay? Fifty? One hundred? There is an entire ___**army**_in these woods!" Ser Jory exclaimed, looking around at his companions.

"Relax, there are darkspawn about but we are in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde." Alistair said evenly, not looking a bit worried.

"How do you know?" the knight questioned further. "I'm no coward, but this is foolish and reckless. We should go back."

Sabari turned and gave the knight a scathing look. "You sound like a coward to me," she said disdainfully. She had sensed the knight's weakness upon meeting him – it practically radiated off him. "I for one am looking forward to killing them."

"Bloodthirstiness is such an attractive quality." Alistair said with a grin. Sabari cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I thought knights were supposed to be brave," the elf continued. Ser Jory opened his mouth to say something, but Alistair cut him off.

"Alright, everyone calm down. Know this, all grey wardens can sense when the darkspawn are close, no matter how cunning they are. I guarantee they won't take us by surprise, that's why I'm here," Alistair said, mostly to the skittish knight.

"You see, ser knight, we might die, but we'll be warned about it first," Daveth said laughing nervously.

The group continued to head in the direction of the old outpost - they could see the ruin towering above the treeline. Daveth had hurried his pace to walk beside the elf.

"Soo, how's a tiny mite like yourself manage to wield such a sword?" Daveth asked her.

"Practice," Sabari replied simply, not in the mood for small talk with this shifty human.

"Yeah, it took me years to become as skilled as I am now with me knives," Daveth continued, unabashed. "You won't see quicker hands - or fingers, for that matter - in all of Ferelden," he told her with a sly wink. Sabari flicked her eyes in his direction, her innocence allowed the comment to pass by unnoticed,

"Well then, you sound like a good man to have along in battle. If you watch my back, I will watch yours," Sabari replied quickly, wanting the conversation to be over. She quickened her step to be rid of the man.

"Oh, I'll watch your back. I could watch it all day," Daveth said under his breath, leering at her backside. Alistair had overheard his lewd remarks, and tried to repress the urge to knock the rogue on the head.

_If he so much as tries to touch her I'll break his __fingers,_ Alistair seethed, ears burning - then he felt that all too familiar buzzing in his blood. _Darkspawn._

IOI

Sabari saw the darkspawn first, as roughly ten of the monsters came crashing out of the brush. A few looked like the ones she seen back in the forest – genlocks, Duncan had called them. Hideous little things, but most of these darkspawn were a lot taller...man-sized. A menacing smile formed on her full lips as she unsheathed her sword – finally she would be able to exact vengeance on Tamlen's behalf. She ripped easily through the closest monsters, silently praying to Elgar'nan for strength. The creatures were easily dispatched. Alistair was busy cleaning the blade of his sword when he smelled the hot breath coming from behind him. He turned quickly to find himself almost nose to nose with one of the hurlocks. The creature's face was twisted in pain, and Alistair's eyes dropped in time to see two points of silver protruding from its chest. They made a slurping sound as they were pulled from the creature - it dropped to the ground, dead. Sabari stood behind the creature, her dark hair tousled and fire in her jade eyes.

"I owe you one," Alistair told the elf.

"Owe me one what?" Sabari asked, quirking her head to the side.

"You killed that monster for me, so I owe you for that," he tried to explain. Sabari shook her head, muttered something about _shemlen _and set to work filling her vial with the putrid blood.

"That was probably a scouting party," Alistair said, turning to address the others.

"Easy enough to take care of, now let's go find those documents and get out of here," Daveth said,flashing a smile at Sabari. Alistair busied himself checking the dead monsters for anything useful. He found some coins and gingerly deposited them into a leather pouch.

"You know...I'll never understand why the darkspawn carry coin. Do you think they have a darkspawn tavern somewhere in the deep roads? Somewhere they all go after a hard day of darkspawning to sing jolly darkspawn songs?" Alistair asked, laughing at his own wit. The other two men started to laugh nervously, while Sabari fixed her piercing eyes on the junior warden, and he couldn't help but smile boyishly at her. She rewarded him with a giggle. He found her laugh most pleasant - refined and bubbly like champagne.

As she suggested that they all move on, indicating with a slender finger how close to the ruined tower they were, Alistair found his thoughts as optimistic as they had been for several days.

_Maker's breath, what I wouldn't have given to have had this much fun on _my_ little trip before the Joining! I just hope that she makes it through…_

* * *

_**Another authors note : Thanks, as usual, to my lovely beta Kyla Baines for helping make this readable! **__  
_


	8. Chapter 8

Sabari felt as if they had been walking for hours through the humid marshland before they finally came across the crumbling ruins. Sabari couldn't help but be astounded by the towering structure - the humans were masters at building these large stone tents. Alistair moved quickly towards what was once an old chest.

_"_Maker's breath, they aren't here," he muttered.

"Looking for something are we?" A deep feminine voice rang out. Sabari looked up to see a scantily-clad woman leaning against a half crumbled pillar. Sabari cursed herself for not paying attention. She listened, half-amused, half-irritated as this strange woman, who had introduced herself as Morrigan, and Alistair exchanged scathing introductions, and threw accusations around. She was about ready to shake some information out of her, when Morrigan turned on Sabari once more.

"Allow me to guess your purpose – you seek something from that chest, something that is here no longer."

"Here no longer... you stole them didn't you? Your...some sort of..._sneaky_..._witch-thief!_" Alistair declared.

Sneaky witch-thief, am I? Aren't you eloquent? Tell me, how does one steal from dead men?" Morrigan asked, raising a sculpted eyebrow.

"Apparently, it's quite easy. Those documents are property of the Grey Wardens, and I suggest you return them," Alistair told her coldly, he was angry with this woman making him look like a fool in front of Sabari.

"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them," the witch stated matter-of-factly.

"I tire of this game," Sabari shot out. "If it was not you who removed the scrolls, who did?"

"Twas my mother," the witch replied simply. Daveth and Jory watched the two woman facing each other uncomfortably.

"Take me to her."

"We can't go with her, she'll boil us up and put us in the pot she will!" Daveth exclaimed with worry in his eyes. Sabari shushed him with an angry glare. Morrigan gave the raven-haired elf an appraising look.

"I like you - you seem to be the only one with any sense in your little group. Follow me then... I'll take you to see Mother." Morrigan called and turned to leave.

Sabari started after her, then she paused to look at Alistair - she thought he was supposed to be leading the group.

"Let's follow her but be careful. First its '_oh I like you__' _than Zap! Frog time." He told her in a low voice. Sabari smirked and led the way after the witch.

IOI

Morrigan led them deep into the wilds in silence, not once turning back to look at the would-be wardens trailing behind her. She brought them to a small hut in the midst of a clearing in the marsh. There was a small, older woman in plain clothing tending to a smoldering fire.

"Greetings,Mother, I bring guests."

The old woman looked up at them. It seemed to Sabari that her strange eyes held great wisdom, and the capacity for great cruelty.

"I can see that, girl," the woman snapped. "And, led by an elf of all creatures. Interesting..." her voice was hard and cracked, like the expression on her face. Sabari approached the old woman boldly.

"Blessings," Sabari said, inclining her head. "I am Sabari of the Grey Wardens."

"Such manners." The old woman's onyx eyes glittered. "Always in the last place you'd expect it... or is that your stockings? Bah." The withered woman began to mutter loudly. "Mhmm, Grey Wardens.. yes, much as I expected."

"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" Alistair laughed, feeling out of his element in the present company. His templar training was buzzing in the back of his mind, telling him these women were apostates.

"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide...either way, one's a fool," the wizened woman cackled.

"She's a witch, I tell you! We shouldn't be talking to her!" Ser Jory hissed loudly.

"Quiet, ser knight! If she really is a witch do you want to make her mad?" Daveth hissed back at him. Sabari turned her head to give them both a withering stare. She wondered what Duncan had seen in these two.

"There is a smart lad. Sadly irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, but it is not I who decides. Believe what you will." The old woman turned to the Sabari next.

"And what of you? Does your elven mind give you a different viewpoint? What do you believe?"

"I believe you have some documents for us," Sabari told her matter-of-factly. The woman threw her head back and howled with laughter. The raspy sound made the hair on Sabari's neck stand on end.

"Do I? I believe I do? Ha ha ha. So much about you is uncertain, yet I believe. Oh, yes, I do," the woman rambled. Somehow, the tone of the grizzled woman told Sabari that these were not just the mutters of a senile old woman.

"This is a _dreaded_ witch of the wilds?" Alistair asked skeptically, cocking an eyebrow in Sabari's direction.

"Witch of the wilds, ho, you must have been talking with my daughter, Morrigan. She fancies such tales, oh how she dances under the light of the moon," the woman chortled. Morrigan shot the woman a glare.

"They did not come here to listen to your tales, Mother." the younger witch said, testily.

"True, they came for their treaties, yes? Now, before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected them," the old woman explained, stepping inside the rickety hut – she returned quickly with the scrolls in her withered hands.

"Oh... you protected them," Alistair said, surprise written all over his handsome face - he wasted no time in placing the treaties in his pack.

"There you go, see no harm has come to them." The old woman cackled again.

"Er.. Right, thank you," Alistair told the old witch.

"There, you have gotten what you came for. I bid you farewell," Morrigan said crisply.

"Don't be rude, girl," the old woman barked at her. "These are your guests. It is getting dark, so you will show them out of the swamp." Sabari noticed the hurt flash in the young witch's eyes.

"Uh- very well, Mother," Morrigan replied and turned to lead the group out of the wilds.

IOI

Pale ribbons of indigo could be seen just above the tops of the stout trees of the marsh, signaling twilight. Thanks to Morrigan, the group had arrived back at Ostagar swiftly.

_Well that went - dare I say - __well, _mused Alistair, as they made their way back to Duncan's tent. Duncan was sitting by the fire with Natu when the group returned to him. Natu sprang to his feet at the sight of Sabari, and shuffled over to her, his dark, bristly tail wagging excitedly - the wolf jumped up and placed his massive paws on the elf's shoulders and began showering her with slobbery kisses.

"What is that!?" Alistair yelped. At the sound of his voice, Natu turned his large gray head and growled at the ex-templar, making Alistair wince.

"Surely you have seen a wolf before?" Sabari asked him, giggling at the shocked look on his face.

"Well... I know what it _is_, I was just, um, shocked to see a wolf come barreling at us with murder in his eyes," Alistair mumbled, trying to redeem himself.

"He doesn't have murder in his eyes," Sabari said in a silky voice to the wolf, scratching his ears - the wolf panted happily.

"Ah, I am glad you are all back." Duncan stood up to address the group, a smile warming his dark features. "I trust you were successful."

"Perhaps you should tell Duncan of the mage and her mother?" Sabari suggested carefully to Alistair.

"Right. We were successful, but we encountered an apostate in the wilds whose mother was holding onto the scrolls, you see-"

"Interesting," Duncan interrupted the young man. "But we will have to discuss it later - I've had the mages preparing for the ritual while you were away. It is time to begin." Alistair handed the vials of blood to him, the smile vanishing from his face.

"Alistair, take the recruits to the old temple," Duncan told him,suddenly all business. Alistair crossed his arms and bowed in respect.

"Right, follow me, then. Don't stray off the path lest the griffons get you," Alistair addressed his recruits in a mock-cheery voice.

"But aren't the griffons?"

"I think it was another **_joke_**, _shem_." Sabari silenced the man…creators, he was grating her nerves. Poor Alistair's stomach was in knots, he had been dreading this moment all week,and, given the day's events, he felt anxiety forming in the pit of his stomach.

The granitic walls of the once majestic temple were now crumbling, offering little shelter from the cool evening wind that cavorted gently around the would-be wardens. Sabari shivered.

"I've had enough of all this secrecy," Ser Jory complained. "Haven't we proven ourselves worthy already?"

"Keep yer knickers on, ser knight," quipped Daveth. Somewhere in camp, a dog howled and the nervous knight jumped at the sound. Sabari looked over to him and rolled her eyes.

"I swear, I must be the bravest one here," she grumbled, to herself mostly.

"You may think me cowardly - it's just I have never encountered something I could not confront with my blade," the knight tried to explain – it fell on deaf ears.

"I'm sure all will be revealed soon, so try not to get so excited," the ebony-haired elf replied dryly. Ser Jory resumed his pacing while Daveth busied himself cleaning his daggers. Sabari sat down on the rough-hewn stone floor and gazed wistfully toward the faint silver beginnings of the moon. As she stared at the pale orb suspended lazily in the darkening sky, her thoughts turned to Tamlen.

_Will he forgive me? Oh Mythal, I pray he does. I pray he has found his way to your tender embrace. Would he approve of__ me living amongst the shemlen – it's not __like I had a choice. _Her mind wandered many paths, her thoughts colliding, intertwining, as she sifted through her heart. Eventually she came to this conclusion: Tamlen would have wanted her to keep on living.

Alistair watched the group silently from the back of the old temple, he found his gaze lingering on the fragile looking elf – he would have never expected her ferocity in battle. Such sadness he could see in those haunting eyes. He wondered if life had been pleasant for her with her people, before she and her friend had encountered the taint. He liked to think that it had been, she must have parents and siblings within her clan – he wondered if she would be able to return to them once the wardens defeated the darkspawn.

_Family… what a wonderful notion._

Alistair's wistful thoughts were interrupted by a sigh. He looked around quickly, but realized it had been him.

_And _that's_ what happens when I get melodramatic! So much for me being the ever-stoic, ever-serious Grey Warden…_

"Thank you for waiting so patiently," Duncan's voice boomed out, causing everyone to jolt out of their individual diversions. The group turned their heads, in unison, to watch the armor-clad man stride into the temple, with the mottled gray wolf, Natu, trotting at his heels. Sabari shook her head, amused that the wolf had taken such a liking toward the senior warden.

"I had one final preparation to attend to -" Duncan placed an ornate silver chalice down on a dusty pedestal. "But, we are now ready to begin the ritual of the joining." As Duncan spoke, the wind caused the torches surrounding the area to flicker violently, casting erratic shadows in every direction. As the mottled light hit the senior warden's face, it gave him a more sinister appearance than Sabari would have thought possible.

"We will only say a few short words before we begin. Alistair, if you will."

Alistair stood up and cleared his throat - Sabari was surprised to see his usually jovial expression replaced by seriousness.

"Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And, should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that one day we will join you." Alistair finished solemnly, gazing at the faces that had gathered around him and the senior warden.

"Thank you, Alistair. Now, each of you must drink the darkspawn blood from this cup-"

"You want us to _what_?" Ser Jory interrupted the elder warden.

"If you survive, you will be a grey warden," Duncan continued on, unruffled by the knight's outburst.

"We can die from this?" the knight asked incredulously.

"If there is no one to defeat an blight then we will all_ die!_" Sabari replied testily.

Ignoring the knight's question, Duncan called upon Daveth first.

"From this moment forward, you are now a grey warden." He handed the shining chalice to the rugged man - Daveth's hands shook as he took the cup and drank deeply from it. Daveth had barely swallowed the liquid before he let out an agonizing scream! Daveth's eyes rolled back into his head - Ser Jory watched in horror as the man fell to the floor, dead.

"I am so sorry, Daveth," Duncan said, sorrow clinging to each word.

"Ser Jory, step forward," Duncan commanded, turning his stern gaze to the knight. Ser Jory raised his hands up as he backed away.

"N-no, I can't do this - I won't do this, if I had known... I have a wife at home - she is with child," the knight stammered.

"As I warned before- there is no backing away from this," Duncan told him gravely. Alistair shifted his weight uncomfortably, grateful he wasn't standing closest to the knight.

"There is no glory in this! I won't do it!" The knight reached for his sword, scuttling backwards to reach the entrance to the temple.

"I cannot let you leave, Ser Jory," Duncan said calmly, pulling his dagger out. Ser Jory uttered a strangled yell as he ran at Duncan, swinging his blade clumsily. Duncan easily dodged his attempted blow and sunk his dagger quickly into the knight's chest - Sabari could barely follow his hand. The knight collapsed to the floor by her feet as he made one last pained, gurgling sound before falling silent. Sabari shuddered as she stepped gingerly away from the pool of blood forming at her leather-clad feet.

"I am sorry, Ser Jory," Duncan told the dead man, tears stinging his onyx eyes. Sabari could hear the regret lingering in his voice.

_Curious, the shem seems to regret having to kill the knight. Maybe all humans aren't remorseless murderers._

"Sabari, step forward." Sabari felt her heart sink to her feet as she heard the senior warden speak her name. Though he was right in front of her, his voice sounded as if it was coming from the stars. Sabari squared her shoulders and held her head high – she hoped she looked more confident than she felt - she felt like somebody was walking on her grave.

"From this moment forward, you are now a grey warden," Sabari heard the baritone voice say as she closed her eyes and brought the silver chalice to her lips. She shivered slightly as the putrid smell of the blood wafted up at her delicate nose - it smelled like a decaying corpse. She drank deeply from the cup - the liquid burned white-hot as it sloshed down. Gasping for air, she brought panicked hands to her throat. Sabari turned hysterical green eyes to Alistair before everything went black. Alistair restrained himself from grabbing her as her body went limp and crumpled to the ground – he had to treat her like anyone else.

IOI

_Everything was black. Sabari felt the emptiness twisting, coiling around her – caressing__ her with its__ insidious tendrils. A heavy presence in her hea__d was __wrapped around her mind like a vile snake– constricting her thoughts.  
__"Die!" a sinister voice hisse__d. ____An enormous black dragon, ____both beautiful and terrifying, appeared in her vision, its serpentine face boring into her own, green eyes glittering like diamonds.  
____"Die!" it hissed again, the word reverberating through her b__eing. She could feel the dragon assaulting her psyche - trying to crush her. With the intense pain incurred with the mental assault, Sabari felt her skull would simply shatter. "Die" the voice roared, searing her again with pain. She thought of Tamlen. 'No.' she thought.  
"Die!" She thought of her parents. "Die!" the frighteningly sweet voice tortured her ears once more. Sabari used every ounce of mental fortitude she possessed. "You first!" She roared..._

Sabari opened her eyes, arms flailing, her lungs screaming for air. Alistair was kneeling above her, relief written all over his face. Sabari's jade eyes darted around nervously, but upon recognizing the young warrior her lips twisted into what she hoped was a smile – though it looked more like a grimace. She took his out-stretched hand and brought herself shakily to her feet.

_"_Welcome to the Order," Duncan told her. "I am glad you made it." Sabari nodded her head, still in too much shock to form a coherent sentence. Natu, however, was licking her hand incessantly, happy to see his mistress well. Sabari knelt to wrap her arms around the gray wolf's thick neck – he smelt like the forest – home - and the familiar scent comforted the frightened elf.

"So... does he do tricks?" Alistair asked lightly, breaking the silence that had overcome the group. He threw a nervous glance at the massive wolf – but Natu only flicked his tail dismissively at the junior warden and continued showering Sabari with affections.

"I-If you like your hands the way they are, I don't suggest you try," Sabari told him her eyes dancing in the moonlight. Though her nerves were frayed to the point of breaking, and she could feel herself trembling from the aftermath of the ritual, Sabari felt better than she had in days – at long last, she could feel the last vestiges of the darkness that had been seeping through her body slip away into oblivion.

"I _am_ rather attached to my hands," Alistair said, splaying them out in front of him.

"How are you feeling now, Sabari?" Duncan asked gently, pleased she had survived. Sabari mulled it over.

"I am feeling a bit better, although I am quite hungry," she told the senior warden with a shy smile. Duncan and Alistair both laughed.

"Well, I am glad you are feeling well. You gave poor Alistair quite a scare." Alistair grimaced at the old man's remark.

"Well, we couldn't have all the recruits dying at once." Alistair felt his cheeks getting hot. "That's a bad joke…not funny," he finished clumsily, looking at his boots.

"Hey, did you have nightmares? I had terrible nightmares," he said, changing the subject quickly. Sabari nodded her head, shivering at the memory - it seemed so real.

"Oh, and before I forget, we put some of the tainted blood into a pendant that we carry with us, as a reminder of those who did not make it this far," Alistair said, handing Sabari a silver chain with a tiny crystal vial attached to it. Sabari thanked him softly as she fastened the chain around her slender neck. She found her gaze drifting to the two dead men on the floor.

_So much death these past days, and no time to hold a proper funeral__. It is not right._

_"Hahren na mela__na sahlin, emma ir abelas souver'inan isala hamin, vhenan him dor'felas , in uthenera na revas." _She whispered fervently over the two dead men, closing their eyes softly. After finishing her prayer for the fallen men, Sabari asked to take her leave - Duncan nodded and told her where he had set up a tent for her. With a pensive look at her silver, lupine friend, she drifted silently toward camp. Duncan nodded to Alistair, and they began the sad task of bringing the deceased men to the priests.

* * *

_**A/N : Up next the battle of Ostagar and all that entails and then, we get to have some real fun! Stay tuned! Thanks Kyla Baines for putting up with my comma issues! **_


	9. Chapter 9

Alistair found the elf sitting by the fire in the center of the wardens' camp. She appeared to be deep in thought as she nibbled her supper. Alistair noticed she looked much healthier then she had earlier in the day. Sabari glanced over at him as he sat down beside her, and continued to pick at her piece of bread, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm curious, what did you say, you know, when you spoke over Daveth and Ser Jory's bodies?" he asked her softly. Sabari turned and held him in her luminous stare.

"Swiftly do stars burn across the sky, hastening to place one last kiss upon your eye. Tenderly land enfolds you in slumber, softening the rolling thunder. Dagger now sheathed, bow no longer tense. In this last hour, only silence."Her melodious voice held a haunting note that echoed the sorrow in her eyes.

"That's... that is very beautiful," Alistair said, his voice husky.

"Everyone deserves a proper send off into the beyond, whether they are hero, or faint of heart." Her cherry lips twisted into a wistful smile.

The two wardens sat together in silence, both lost to their own thoughts as the fire crackled in front of them. Alistair watched, mesmerized as the logs settled, giving off hundreds of tiny sparks that spiraled and jumped until they were eventually lost to the inky night sky. The pair looked up from the entrancing glow to see Duncan approaching them.

"The king has called an urgent meeting - our scouts say the darkspawn horde has started to march upon us. King Cailen has requested your presence at the meeting, Sabari," Duncan informed the elf. "Alistair, prepare yourself for battle."

Alistair hurried off to his tent, miffed. He wondered why the king wanted Sabari there over any other warden.

IOI

Sabari and Duncan entered the king's tent just as the meeting was about to begin. Sabari had never seen such a luxurious tent before – there were plush rugs in rich red and gold on the ground, and a large bed that seemed out of place in the rustic setting of the camp itself. Sabari had always preferred sleeping under the stars, and figured that an enclosure such as this must be a _shemlan_ preference. She took her place beside Duncan and scanned the group quickly. There was an older woman dressed in the religious robes of the humans, and a bald mage who wore dark blue robes, his staff held at his side. The king was again dressed in his flashy golden armor, and standing beside him was a man with long, dark hair that wore silver plate armor. This man caught Sabari's glance at him and scowled – he had cruel, dark eyes. Sabari ignored the malice, and gave him a pleasant smile in return. He frowned further, and looked away as the king began to speak.

"Loghain, my decision is final," King Cailen said, placing his hands firmly down on the wooden table the group was gathered around. Sabari guessed the two men had been speaking prior to their arrival.

"You risk too much. Now is not the time to be riding into battle to play at hero!" the dark haired man, Loghain, objected.

"If you're so worried, perhaps we **_should_ **wait for the reinforcements from the Orlais," the king countered.

"I've had enough of this **_fool_ _notion_ **that we need the help of the _Orlesians," _Loghain growled.

"It is **_not_ **a _fool notion_. The Orlesians are not our enemy anymore. And you will remember **_who _**_**is king,**_" Cailen said, frowning.

"It is a good thing your father isn't here to see his _**own** **son **_ready to hand the country over to the very people who _**enslaved us **_for a century!" Loghain shouted.

"Then our current forces will have to suffice," the king replied smoothly. "Duncan, are your forces ready?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"And this is the new recruit I met on the road," King Cailen said focusing his clear blue eyes on Sabari. "I understand congratulations are in order." He had caught Sabari off guard.

"I...thank you," Sabari replied cautiously.

"You should be honored to join their ranks. Every warden is needed now," the king told her, giving her his most charming smile. He couldn't wait to have an audience with her after the battle.

_What woman wouldn't accept a king's invitation, particularly after leading Ferelden to a great victory against the darkspawn? In any case, I've never had an elf before…_

"Your fascination with tales and legends will be your undoing Cailan! We need to attend to reality," Loghain declared, interrupting the king's fantasies.

Fine, _fine_. Speak your strategy," the King sighed as he peered down at the map on the table. "The wardens and I will ride out to draw the bulk of the horde here," the king said poking his finger firmly at a point on the map.

"And the beacon?" Loghain encouraged him.

"Yes I remember now!" The king said chirped proudly. " We must have someone to light the beacon, signaling your men to charge the flank of the horde!"

"It is not a dangerous task, but it is a vital one," Loghain stated. "I'll have men stationed there-"

"You do not need to waste men there my lord, let the mages-"

"We will not leave our fates up to you and your abominations!" The older woman interrupted the mage loudly. King Cailen looked at the map in thought.

"For this task we will need our best... we'll send Alistair and Sabari to make sure it's done," the king declared, proud of his tactical prowess.

"If it is not dangerous, I can go on my own," Sabari offered. She hadn't been alone in days, and her elven senses were begging to get away from the nonstop chatter and noise in the shemlen camp.

"No, it is best you both go," the king reaffirmed.

"You put too much faith in the wardens," Loghain said, casting a dark look at the elf. Sabari fought the urge to stick her tongue out at the miserable man.

"Hush, Loghain... I've had enough of your conspiracy theories. The wardens fight the blight no matter where they are from." The king paused to smile at Sabari. "Now, send the orders to move out," he commanded. "I look forward to that _glorious _moment when we defeat the darkspawn," the king sighed happily.

"Yes your majesty. Glory for us all." Sabari heard Loghain mutter as he left the tent.

IOI

Sabari and Duncan found Alistair waiting for them by the fire in full armor. When Alistair caught sight of them he bent to pick up a bundle of clothing.

"Here, I noticed you don't have proper armor to fight in. I found these in one of our crates," Alistair said gruffly, thrusting the garments into Sabari's arms. She held the armor out to look at - It was a leather cuirass dyed deep red with black accents around the shoulders, and the leggings were black with silver buttons up the side - it even seemed small enough to fit her. Sabari looked at him, unsure of how to thank him. It was a lovely gift.

"Oh..._Ma'serrenas_," Sabari paused for a brief moment. "My thanks," she added. It didn't take her long to change into the new gear, and after making sure that it played to her vainity, she quickly rejoined the other wardens by the campfire.

"You heard what the king said," Duncan stated,turning his eyes to Sabari. "You and Alistair will go to the Tower of Ishal to make sure the beacon is lit." Alistair started to nod until he realized what the senior warden had just said.

"Wait. What? I won't be in the battle?" Alistair asked, a scowl forming on his handsome features.

"This is by the king's own personal request, Alistair," Duncan told the young man.

"I agree with Alistair. We should be in battle," Sabari concurred, with a nod of her head.

"That is not your choice. If the king wants two grey wardens to light the beacon, then two grey wardens will light the beacon," Duncan said authoritatively.

"What happens if the king wants tea?" Sabari asked sarcastically, pouting. Alistair worked hard to repress the smirk that was trying to force its way onto his face.

"There will be other battles. We do what we must to defeat the darkspawn," Duncan continued, ignoring her comment.

"I get it. I get it. But just so you know if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the Remigold, I'm drawing the line," Alistair said with a serious face. Sabari snorted at the image.

"I'd like to see that," she said, trying to hold back her laughter.

"For you? Maybe... but it has to be a pretty dress," Alistair said, giving her the goofy grin she seemed to elicit from him. Duncan shook his head and sighed - only Alistair would find some sort of humor in the situation.

"You'll need to cross the gorge and go through the gate to reach the tower entrance," Duncan said, bringing the focus back to the task at hand. "From the top you will be able to see the whole valley. Alistair will know what to look for."

"And what do we do if we see the arch demon?" Sabari asked the warden-commander as she bound her straight, ebony hair back into a pony tail.

"We soil our linens, that's what," Alistair said half joking.

"If the arch demon appears, leave it to one of the senior wardens. I don't want any heroics from either of you," Duncan told them both sternly. "You both are grey wardens and I expect you to act as such." Sabari and Alistair nodded solemnly.

"Sounds easy enough," Sabari said lightly, fastening her sword belt. "May the stars guide you, Duncan," she told the older warden as she turned to head out. Alistair hung back for a moment.

"Maker watch over you, Duncan," Alistair told the commander fondly.

"May he watch over us all." Duncan murmured, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder. With one last look at the warden-commander, Alistair hurried after Sabari and her wolf.

IOI

The moon shone brightly -which was a blessing of sorts - giving enough light to see easily. The battle down in the valley was well under way when Alistair and Sabari reached the gate to the tower. The acrid scent of burning oil mingling with the incense of the Chantry sisters made Alistair feel light-headed. Sabari winced at the bone-chilling screams from the men below – she had never felt so much anguish concentrated in one spot before. Suddenly, a guard rushed towards the pair screaming that the tower was taken.

"Taken? How?" Alistair asked the shaken man. The guard explained rapidly that the darkspawn had tunneled into the lower chamber.

"Then we must fight our way through. The beacon must be lit!" Alistair declared fervently. Sabari nodded in agreement. Joined by the guard, they headed into the tower. Once inside they encountered a mage desperately trying to defend himself against four of the darkspawn. Natu's fur bristled when he saw the hurlocks and he let out a menacing growl. Sabari rushed into the fray with a wild yell, sword and dagger ready. Alistair and the guard joined her and together they easily dispatched the creatures.

"Thank the _Maker,_ you four showed up when you did," the mage stammered gratefully. He joined the group and helped them fight their way through. Sabari and her companions battled their way to the third floor.

"Makers breath! What are all these darkspawn doing ahead of the horde!? There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here!" Alistair exclaimed after they defeated the final mob between them and the entrance to the top of the tower.

"Perhaps you should tell them they are in the wrong place?" Sabari offered, her jade eyes dancing with the same flame he had seen in the Kocari wilds.

"Right... because this is all just one big misunderstanding. We'll laugh about this later," Alistair replied dryly. Sabari flashed him a wicked grin and bounded up the last set of stairs followed by her lupine companion.

IOI

Sabari skidded to a stop - she wasn't prepared for the monstrosity in front of her when she entered the final floor.

"By Fen-harel's tail, Alistair, what is that thing!" she hissed into his ear. She had never seen a creature like that before.

"It's an ogre - careful they are extremely strong-" He whispered back. "-and mean," he added as an afterthought.

The ogre turned, sensing their presence. It held the half-eaten remains of an unfortunate soldier in its gnarled grasp. The creature had two long, twisted hors protruding from the top of its ape-like head. It was taller by far than any man Sabari had ever seen, and she winced as it fixed its beady black eyes on the guard and bellowed, showering them all with a mixture of blood and spittle. It lowered its massive head and charged the guard, crushing him against the wall with as much effort as it would take her to crush an insect. Sabari barely had time to roll out of the way as the beast focused its attention on her. Alistair, thinking quickly, began to beat his sword on his shield to get the ogre's attention, while the mage seized the opportunity to begin barraging the monster with ice bolts.

Annoyed, Sabari leapt to her feet and charged the back of the ogre, stabbing it repeatedly. They gave the monster everything they had, but still it fought on. In time, it raised its fist in frustration to pummel the ground, knocking the elf, human, and wolf over. Roaring its anger, it lumbered at the mage, grabbing him swiftly. Alistair watched in horror as the ogre crushed the man's body with one squeeze, snapping every bone in his body. Alistair charged, engaging the creature again with the wolf snapping and biting by his side.

Sabari scanned the creature carefully while it was distracted, looking for any sign of weakness. Finally, she noticed an unarmored area underneath it's throat. She ran, pushing Alistair out of the way as she leapt off the ground with a yell.

"_Halam salin!"_ She raised her sword as she flew through the air, catching the ogre under its chin with her sword. Her feet landed hard on the beast's chest as she brought her sword through its throat. Sabari held on tightly as the ogre toppled over, bellowing in pain. She drove the blade into its wretched skull, killing it quickly. She brushed the hair that had come undone during the fight out of her face as she hopped lithely off of the beast. Natu ran happily over to his friend, shaggy gray tail wagging excitedly.

_Well that wasn't reckless or anything. _Alistair thought as he tread over to the elf, wondering if it was strange that he still found her pretty covered in blood.

"Let us light this beacon and be done with this place," Sabari said roughly. Alistair nodded and quickly set about lighting the beacon. It sparked to life almost instantly, sending the signal high into the night sky. Sabari gave a small cheer as she watched the fire light up, proud that her first task in this new life of hers had been successful.

"See, we got the battle we wanted," she told Alistair, feeling exhilarated. It was hard not to smile at the young elf's exuberance.

"I guess there's a silver lining after all then. I'm glad I didn't wear my good boots though." He laughed motioning at the puddle of blood he was standing in. Sabari bit her lip trying not to laugh, but the thrill of the encounter had made them giddy – they ended up laughing together for a few minutes...until the door burst in. They whirled in unison to face fifty assorted darkspawn hurtling toward them. Sabari laughed coldly at the monsters and readied her blade. She stopped when she felt the stings in her legs - she dropped her gaze to see a dozen arrows piercing her. Her legs buckled and as she fell to the floor she cracked her head off the rough stone walls. Alistair saw her fall from the corner of his vision – with a savage yell he cleaved his way through the darkspawn, but just as he reached her still form, a hurlock warrior hit him in the back of the head with the pommel of its jagged sword. Alistair heard Natu howl as he blacked out.

IOI

Fires had broken out everywhere, their flames dancing quickly up the parched tree trunks and eventually spreading across the valley in serpentine patterns that wrought destruction wherever they went. Thick, black smoke enveloped the battlefield, stinging the eyes of the warriors. King Cailan was surrounded by darkspawn - acrid smoke burnt every breath he took, his fair features marred by blood. As soon as he would kill one - another would quickly take its place. The young king dared to glance up at the tower – the beacon was lit – where were Loghain and his men? With a mighty yell he cleaved another creature in two. Duncan was fighting gallantly alongside the king – with every strained breath, smoke and death assaulted his nose. An anguished scream startled the warden from his silent prayers - he turned swiftly to see King Cailan in the grasp of a large, armored ogre. A searing pain in his abdomen caused him to look away, and in his horror he had failed to notice a small genlock. He struck the foul creature down, only to see a far worse sight – the massive ogre held the king in its grasp, and with one last bellow of victory, crushed their leader and cast him aside in a bloody heap. The crimson stain that was fast spreading underneath the king soaked into the usually gleaming armor, turning the soldiers' vision of hope into a beacon of despair. Duncan felt the despair of thousands as the horrified troops took in the sight of their fallen leader.

The cold, silver moon sat above the Wilds, illuminating the hideous scene with her pale light. Forgetting about the pain in his stomach, Duncan charged the ogre with a tormented yell, sinking his two blades into the creatures shoulder. He hung on as the beast flailed about -but his grip was weakened from the loss of blood - Duncan fell to the ground roughly.

_Where are the teryn's men? __H_e turned his gaze towards the tower to see the beacon cutting the black sky in two. As Duncan was overrun by darkspawn, the horrifying realization of Loghain's treachery dawned on him.

The fires burned long after the last condemned man finally fell. The valley echoed with the screams of the tortured souls that were trapped there. The people remaining in camp wept as the darkspawn horde surged into the crumbling remains of the once great fortress. The king was betrayed – Ostagar was lost.

* * *

_**A/N : Finally Ostagar is out of the way! Moving on to Lothering and then we get into the good stuff. Stay tuned! P.S Thanks Kyla Baines, for lending your beta powers**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N : Here's your dose of Elvish for the day. **  
Abelas – I'm sorry _  
_Asha-bellanar – woman of many years _  
_Din - No  
Emma'serranas - my thanks  
Dareth Shiral - Safe Journey_

* * *

Sabari's head was pounding as she opened her eyes blearily. She took in her surroundings trying to figure out where she was. She was in someone's hut, on a bed, and not wearing any clothes.

_This must be how a drunkard feels._

"Ah, your eyes finally open. Mother shall be pleased."

Sabari clutched the blanket to her body, trying to remember where she had heard that voice before. Then she caught sight of the dark-haired woman from the Korcari Wilds - Morrigan.

"I remember you..." As Sabari replied to the strange woman, she internally groaned as she cradled her aching head in her hands. She tried to listen as the witch explained what happened at the tower -how they were betrayed by Loghain, and Ostagar was overwhelmed by the darkspawn…

"Your friend, he is not taking the news well," Morrigan finished.

"My friend?" Sabari replied in confusion. "You must mean Alistair," she concluded. It was strange to think he was the closest thing she had to a friend in this world now.

"Yes. The suspicious dim-witted one you were with the other day," Morrigan told her, the smirk returning to her lips.

"Is he okay?"

"He is as you are. I suppose it would be unkind to say he is being childish," said Morrigan innocently.

"Slightly." Sabari felt her lips twitch.

"Hmm. In any case, this… _boy_ is outside by the fire…"Morrigan informed her. Sabari nodded and glanced around the sparsely furnished hut.

"Your clothes are over there on the trunk. Do not worry, I won't look," Morrigan said turning her back to the elf to tend to something cooking on the fire.

"I care not if you _do_," Sabari replied airily as she swung her legs off the bed. Glancing down at them, she was astonished to find that there were no scars left to give any indication of the many arrows that had pierced her in the tower. She dressed herself quickly and ran her fingers through her hair - the headache was finally subsiding.

"Morrigan," Sabari paused with her hand on the door. The witch turned to look at her. "Thank you."

"I...uh…you are welcome," Morrigan replied, unsure of how to respond to the elf's gratitude.

IOI

Alistair wasn't sure how long he stood there, staring into the mist that swaddled the marshlands. The cool swamp air made him shiver and his mind was in turmoil.

_How could this have happened. How could the Teryn - Cailan…Duncan dead. The other wardens...just wiped out and Sabari has been unconscious for two days. _He figured she would die also. Then he would be completely and utterly alone.

_I__s everyone I know destined to die? _His dark thoughts wrapped their way around him, causing him to gasp for air.

"There is your fellow grey warden," he heard the old woman rasp behind him. "You worry too much, young man." Alistair turned to see Sabari stepping out of the small hut. The first smile he'd had in days spread across his face, erasing the lines that harsh reality had etched, and bringing light back into his amber eyes.

"You...you're alive! I thought you were d-dead for sure," Alistair stammered before grabbing the unsuspecting elf into a bear-hug.

"_Emma dareth__..._er… I am safe," Sabari said, wriggling out of the warrior's embrace. She reached up and patted him on the shoulder. "I... appreciate your concern for my well-being."

"Can you believe this? Cailan, the wardens...Duncan. They're all dead," Alistair told her, fighting back the tears that threatened to well up in his topaz eyes. "We'd be dead, too - on top of that tower - if it weren't for Morrigan's mother,"

"Do not speak of me as if I am not here, boy." The withered woman reprimanded him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude, it's just...you never told us your name," Alistair said, fumbling his words - the witch's piercing glare was quite intimidating.

"Names are pretty, but useless. The chasind folk call me Flemeth - I suppose that will do," she told them.

"_Asha'bellanar__,"_Sabari gasped, her jade eyes widening. "_Emma serranas__," _she told the woman humbly, bowing her head out of respect.

"You are welcome, child."

Alistair listened to Sabari speak and wondered why they didn't teach elvish at the Chantry.

_"_**_The _**Flemeth? Ser Jory was right then, you are a witch of the wilds," Alistair shot out.

"And what does that mean? I know a bit of magic, it has served you well, has it not?" Flemeth asked him, onyx eyes flashing.

"_Abe__las__, we_ are **_both _**grateful for your help _Asha'bellanar,__" _Sabari told the old woman reverently, shooting Alistair a glare.

"Yes...er…thank you Flemeth. In any case, back to the issue at hand-" Alistair said before being interrupted by Sabari.

"Why would your _shemlen lord_do this?"She asked Alistair roughly.

_"_I...I don't know," Alistair said weakly, looking at the boggy ground.

"Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature. Maybe this Loghain thinks the blight is something he can simply outmaneuver," Flemeth stated wisely. "Perhaps he can't see the evil behind the horde that is the true threat."

"The arch demon," Alistair whispered in a hushed voice.

"Then we must defeat this arch demon," Sabari declared.

"By ourselves?" Alistair exclaimed. "No grey warden has ever defeated a blight without at least an army of half a dozen nations behind his back." He paused for a moment. "Not to mention... I don't know how," he finished, hanging his head. He felt defeated before they even began.

"Don't know how to raise an army? Or how to defeat the arch demon? Those to me are two different questions," Flemeth probed the young man.

"I don't know," Alistair said, exhausted. "Duncan said that the grey wardens of Orlais had been called, but they would take weeks to get here."

"Weeks we do not have," Sabari added grimly.

"Arl Eamon would not stand for this treachery, surely," Alistair muttered to himself.

"Who is this...Arl Eamon?" Sabari asked, rolling the foreign name on her tongue.

"He is the Arl of Redcliffe and Cailan's uncle - He is well respected at the landsmeet. I know him - we could go to Redcliffe to appeal to him for help," Alistair explained swiftly. Sabari considered the idea - she did not relish the idea of running to some _shem__ l_ord begging for help, like a dog looking for scraps.

"How do you know him?" Flemeth asked sharply.

"He, uh, he helped raise me," Alistair answered her quickly, glancing nervously at the elf who appeared to be deep in thought.

"And what if this Eamon does not wish to help us?" Sabari asked, narrowing her light green eyes.

"Surely the wardens have more at their disposal then the assistance of old friends?" Flemeth interceded.

"That's right! The treaties," Alistair exclaimed proudly. "The treaties state that during a blight, the grey wardens can call upon the dwarves, elves and the circle of magi to aid them."

"I may be a crazy old bat, but the mages, dwarves, elves, this Arl and who knows what else... that sounds like an army to me," Flemeth said, folding her arms loosely across her chest.

"So can we do this," Alistair turned to Sabari, his eyes shining with hope. "Can we go to Redcliffe and these other places? Can we raise an army?"

_This is insanity, _her eyebrows knitted together as she thought. _A week ago I was with my clan, hunting with.. Tamlen. ____And now it is up to me to save Ferelden from this blight? Save the very people who seek to oppress my own? O__h, __Mythal...is this what you have planned for your faithful daughter?_

"This is what grey wardens do, isn't it?" Sabari said. "Though, I would be happy with just staying alive."

"Come to think of it, so would I," Alistair agreed with a wry smile.

"So are you set then? Ready to be grey wardens?" Flemeth urged the unlikely pair.

"_Ma serranas Asha'bellonar__." _Sabari said, bowing her head towards the old witch. Sabari was grateful for the chance to speak her tongue freely, without worry that she would understand – it was a joy she had been deprived of ever since she had left her clan.

"No, no - thank you. You are the grey wardens, not I." Flemeth's wizened features crackled into a smile. "Now, before you go... there is one more thing I can offer you." Her onyx eyes drifted towards her daughter.

"The stew is bubbling, Mother dear. Shall we have two guests for the eve, or _none_?" Morrigan asked, shooting Alistair a disdainful look as she came over to them.

"The grey wardens are leaving shortly girl - you will be joining them," Flemeth told her daughter.

"Such a shame," said Morrigan, her lips twisting into a smirk, than her eyes widened as Flemeth's words sunk in. "What?!"

"You heard me, girl. Last time I checked you had ears, ha!" Flemeth cackled gleefully.

"Have I no say in this?" Sabari watched the younger witch struggle to control her emotions.

"You have been itching to get out of the wilds for years. Here is your chance." Flemeth paused for a second before continuing. "And as for you, wardens, consider this repayment for your lives." Sabari bowed her head.

"Erm, not to sound ungrateful or anything...but won't this add to our problems? Out of the wilds she is an apostate." Alistair spoke up and immediately regretted doing so as he squirmed under the glares of the three women in front of him.

"I care not what your _human_ law deems her," Sabari told him crisply, a frown marring her face.

"If you do not wish help from us illegal mages, perhaps we should have left you on top of that tower!" Flemeth snapped.

"Point taken. I just... Do you really want to bring her along just because her mother _said so_?" Alistair didn't know why he continued speaking - the words just kept coming out of his mouth. He winced under the knives Sabari was staring at him.

"We are not in a position to be turning away help _Da'len__," _Sabari pointed out to him. Alistair wondered what she had called him - hopefully it wasn't something mean.

"I guess you're right. The grey wardens have always taken allies where they could find them," he conceded with a small sigh.

"Oh! I am _so_ pleased to have your approval!" Morrigan exclaimed in mock joy, clapping her hands. She then turned to her mother, her face growing somber.

"Mother, this isn't how I wanted this. I am not ready."

"You must be, girl. These two must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn. They will need you, Morrigan. If they should fail, all will fall from the Blight – even I." Flemeth's grave words resonated through the three young ones standing in front of her.

"I... understand," Morrigan replied, resignation heavy in her voice.

"And you, wardens, do you understand?" Flemeth netted them in her gaze. "I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you _must_ succeed," the old woman finished firmly.

"She will not come to harm with me, _Asha'bellanar__," _Sabari assured the witch. The elf felt the back of her neck tingle as Flemeth stared at her - or through her, rather. Flemeth could almost taste the elf's aura it was so strong.

_The girl is capable yes, but still...still __so many variables._ Asha'bellanar would have to remain vigilant.

IOI

Morrigan returned to the group with her staff and pack of belongings.

"I am at your disposal, grey wardens. Might I suggest a village north of here as our first destination. 'Tis not far, and there is much we need," Morrigan informed them. "Or, if you prefer, I shall be your silent guide."

"_Din, _I would much prefer you to speak your mind," Sabari told her, a smile threatening to steal onto her lips.

"You will regret saying that!" Flemeth laughed shrilly.

"Dear, sweet mother, you are so kind to cast me out like this. Oh,how fondly I shall remember this moment." Morrigan's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Bah. I've always said if you want something done, you have to do it yourself or hear about it afterward for the next decade... or two," Flemeth said with a shrug. Sabari listened to the mother-daughter interaction with mild interest, but her focus on was on Alistair. He had become quiet and his eyes looked distant and lost.

"_Dareth __shiral__." _Sabari told the witch respectfully before motioning to Alistair they were heading out. Alistair nodded in agreement. He felt numb – the death of his friend and mentor, the king's defeat, and now having an apostate that _clearly_ hated him along for what would likely become a suicide mission was a lot to take in all at once.

"Farewell, Mother. Do not forget the stew on the fire, I would hate to return to a burned down hut." Morrigan bid her mother goodbye lightly.

"Bah! It is far more likely that you will return to the entire area swallowed up - my hut included - by the darkspawn," Flemeth growled. Sabari noticed the hurt in the younger witch's eyes.

"A-all I meant was..."

"Yes,yes. Do try and have fun," Flemeth said, waving them off. Morrigan wondered what Flemeth's plan was – for the witch always had an ulterior motive - she had been talking about the grey wardens for weeks. With a sigh, she began to lead the last of the wardens away from her hut – the only home she knew – and deeper into the wilds. Morrigan couldn't contain a shudder as she peered up at the angry red sun as it sunk lower behind the trees, its rays seeping through the obscuring fog. It seemed that nature itself had felt the ill effects of the war that had been fought, and bled along with all the poor souls on that desolate field.


	11. Chapter 11

The afternoon sun hung lazily in the air radiating its warm heat down onto the travelers. Morrigan lead the group north, towards the village of Lothering. The group walked in companionable silence for the most part – Alistair in fact, had not said a word since they left Flemeth's hut. Sabari asked Morrigan how they would avoid the darkspawn, curious to know how they would manage to make it past a full horde of the creatures.

"The question you should be asking is: 'How is your friend going to avoid the darkspawn,'" Morrigan replied in her haughty tone.

"What does she mean, Alistair?" Sabari looked back at the young warrior, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, you already know how the Grey Wardens can sense the darkspawn, but in turn they can also detect us. Though, normally it's the more intelligent ones like the Alphas of a group," Alistair explained with a shrug.

"I cannot sense them," Sabari sniffed.

"You won't be able to yet. It takes a while before the taint fully takes effect," Alistair told the elf before retreating back into his thoughts.

"Ah, there he goes again, back to being a mute. I must say, I rather like him this way," Morrigan stated.

Sabari gave the witch a glare. "Don't be cruel, Morrigan, it's unbecoming of you."

"Anyhow, we won't be bothered much - the bulk of the horde has moved on and mother _has_ taught me a few spells over the years," Morrigan replied, smirking.

IOI

The bellies of the clouds were painted crimson-orange by the sun's final rays, lighting the sky on fire. There was not a sound to be heard as Sabari and her companions reached the Imperial highway. It was evident in their footsteps that the group was becoming tired after the long day of walking. Alistair began to feel the buzzing in his veins, he muttered to the women that darkspawn were about. Sabari felt her muscles tense as she heard the darkspawn come crashing in their direction – it was only a small scouting party led by what Alistair called an 'Alpha'.

Sabari and Alistair rushed forward to lock blades with the monsters as Morrigan hung back to hurl fireball after fireball at the archers - the trio was able to make quick work of the creatures. While they were checking the darkspawn corpses for anything of use a loud mournful howl rang out from behind them. Sabari turned in time to be bowled over by Natu who whimpered happily and began showering her face with wet, sloppy kisses.

"Oh, Natu! I thought I had lost you as well," she murmured into the wolf's thick, gray fur.

"What a magnificent creature!" Morrigan exclaimed as she approached the happily reunited pair. Natu turned his amber eyes up at the witch, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Morrigan respectfully stood still while the wolf sniffed around her. Upon deciding that the witch was able to be trusted, he gave her hand a lick and resumed his position by Sabari.

"Humph. When _I _met him he looked like he wanted to eat me," Alistair remarked from where he was standing cleaning his sword.

"Then the wolf and I think the same," Morrigan shot.

"You...wanted to eat me? I guess the stories are true than; witches do eat people!" Alistair remarked, a look of shock and amusement alighting his face.

Morrigan rolled her golden eyes and turned back to face Sabari. "He is marvelous. Tell me, how did he become yours?"

"It is more like I became his," Sabari said with a chuckle. "Natu came to me when I lost my...er… when I was young, before my _vallas'lin_ - which means blood-writing – we do this when a fledgling comes of age. After my eleventh name-day I was out running in the forest...I was running just to feel the wind on my face. I felt something brush against my leg as I ran, and when I stopped to look down there was a yearling wolf staring up at me." Sabari paused for a moment to scratch the wolf behind his sable ears. "I was not afraid of him - instead a tranquil feeling overcame me, the calmest I had felt in a long time. When I returned to camp the yearling followed me, causing quite the upset with the Halla. I brought him to see the keeper and she told me that Mythal, the goddess of protection, had sent him to me. I named him Natu, which means brother in our language."

"How curious," Morrigan replied. "I can take many shapes, other than my own, but the form of the wolf is my favorite."

IOI

The sun had completed its journey for the day and had been replaced by a myriad of stars dotting the inky canopy. It was a cool, breezy night; the swaying of trees and rustling of leaves could be heard but not seen as the darkness had blotted out all but the faintest light when Sabari and her group stopped to make camp. She had managed to lose track of time while talking with Morrigan about shape-shifting, and had found that it was an intriguing form of magic. Sabari helped Alistair set up the tents while Morrigan easily made a fire. They ate a meager meal of cured venison, berries, and stale bread in silence, the day's toll wearing on them. When Alistair offered to take first watch, Sabari mumbled her thanks gratefully – she was dead on her feet – and dragged herself off to her little tent.

Sabari hummed to herself as she brushed her slender fingers through her long, straight hair. It felt amazing to be out of her leathers; her feet were sore from the long day of walking. Morrigan had assured her they would reach the village within a few days. Instead of finding rest as her beleaguered body did, she found her traitorous mind replaying the horrific events of Tamlen's ill fortune as he touched the mirror, over and over again in painstaking slow motion. She tossed and turned for a long time, desperate to rid her head of these events, but gave in with a curse and crawled out of her tent.

IOI

Alistair was so engrossed in his silent grieving over his fallen comrades that he did not hear the elf sit down near him. As he turned to reach for another log, he was startled to find her sitting cross-legged next to him. The light from the fire illuminated her delicate features in its soft, orange glow.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her gruffly. Alistair blinked quickly to hide his tears from the elf, not wanting to look weak in front of her. Sabari slowly shook her head, her eyes never straying from the dancing flames.

"I am tired," she admitted, "but it seems my mind has other ideas." Alistair nodded in acknowledgment - he knew the feeling the well. "You and Duncan were close, yes?" Sabari broached. It was obvious the loss of the elder warden upset the jovial human deeply.

"He was like a father to me." Alistair paused for a moment to steady his voice before continuing. "I know that may sound foolish to you, given that I only knew him for six months, but he was the only person in my life who seemed to care what _I wanted." _

Sabari's usual piercing stare softened for a moment as she looked at the young man. "It's not foolish," She murmured.

"You don't have to do this," Alistair told her with a rueful smile. "I know you didn't know him as long as I did."

"That doesn't mean I do not mourn his loss! He saved my life...Duncan was a good man. _F__alon, _a friend," Sabari declared, the crackling fire reflected in her wide eyes.

"I- I guess I should have handled it better. Duncan warned me right from the beginning that any of us could fall in battle. I shouldn't have lost it, not with so much riding on us. I'm sorry."

"No harm done, there is no need to apologize," Sabari gently told him, transfixing him with her eyes.

"I think...I think I would like to have a proper funeral for him - once this is all over - if we're still alive," Alistair's said in a hushed voice. "I don't think he had any family to speak of."

"He had you," Sabari said softly.

"Yes, I suppose he did." Alistair grew thoughtful. "I feel as if I should have been there with him – not up that stupid tower! I feel as if I abandoned him, I might have been able to help him!" He finished, staring at his gloved hands.

"Had you not been on that tower, you would be dead also – what would that accomplish?" Sabari realized the words were harsh the moment they left her lips - the man was hurting enough from guilt. "_Abelas_, I did not mean to be cruel Alistair. I...understand how you feel." Her tiny shoulders rose and fell as she sighed wistfully.

"No, you're right. It wouldn't make him happy if I was dead, too. I just wish his death had been worthy of a valorous man like him," Alistair lamented.

"His death will not be in vain. We will defeat this, archdemon," Sabari said fervently.

"You sound very confident that we will win," Alistair replied, a small smile alighting his face. Sabari found she liked his smile – sweet and warm like honey, it made her feel at ease.

"Is there any other option?" Sabari asked him sweetly. Alistair thought for a moment and then shook his head. The two sat together for a quiet moment watching the smoke from the fire swirling in a black cloud as it moved, a solemn dance in the wind.

Interrupting the silence, Alistair said, "Here I am, whining away like a child and completely forgetting that you've lost someone recently as well. Forgive me, were you and Tamlen close?"

Sabari felt her heart clench, as it always did, at the sound of her friend's name. "I...yes, we were very close." Her hesitant voice became wooden and distant. "We were friends since we were fledglings– we were in love." A single tear rolled down her lovely cheek. Alistair thought she looked like she had the weight of the world on those small shoulders. He longed to hold her again, to tell her it would be okay – he would make sure of it - but he sensed it would be rather inappropriate at this time. Also, she didn't seem the hugging type.

"I am sorry," was all he could think to say to her. He could see the pain of her loss etched into her jade eyes. "I think I'd like to go to Highever some time, maybe see about putting something up in Duncan's honor." Alistair decided to change the subject to something more neutral – Sabari didn't look like she wanted to talk of Tamlen anymore.

"That is a nice thought. Maybe I will go with you once this is all over with," Sabari said, her lips forming a heartfelt smile.

"I would like that, and I think Duncan would too, but won't you return to your clan once this is over?" Alistair asked her.

"There is nothing there for me anymore," she told him, despair clinging to every word. The realization that she was truly alone now broke upon Sabari with all the shock of being immersed in icy water. She felt exhaustion wash over her. Alistair watched her stand up and nodded his acknowledgment when she told him she was tired, and he caught himself staring after her as she went towards her tent.

"Sabari?"

"Yes?" He heard her soft voice in the dark.

"Thank you, for listening."

"…You're welcome." her voice trailed off as she moved further away from him. Alistair sighed softly and prodded the smoldering remains of the fire. The waning moon hovered above him as he resumed his watch. Though his body was over-taxed and his mind numb, Alistair doubted sleep would come easily to him tonight.

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_**A/N : Abelas - sorry. **_

_**Thanks for the reviews, follows and faves! And big thanks to Kyla Baines for lending her super beta powers! **_


	12. Chapter 12

Elvish :

Seth'lin – thin blood

Lothering, once a bustling trading post supplying goods from as far away as Orzammar to the cities of Ferelden, had been reduced to sheltering the endless waves of refugees from the south. The village sat on the precipice of destruction – yet so many villagers remained. The unlikely companions had reached the village with only minor hassle from a group of bandits stationed outside the village, preying on the already distraught refugees. Sabari had sent the would-be "toll collectors" running – not without collecting a substantial "donation" from them, first.

"What? This little venture is not going to fund itself," Sabari replied with a sweet smile, noticing Alistair's questioning look. Upon entering the barren village, Sabari grew somber – despair hung over Lothering like a heavy raincloud; the dark lullaby of a ranting doom-sayer filled the air. Sabari instinctively placed a gentle hand on Natu's gray brow, soothing the wolf as he whimpered. A lone templar had stood by the entrance to the village, and in his helmet-muffled voice had warned the group that there was nowhere to stay and it was best to move on. Morrigan mentioned that she had heard of an inn located across the river. "I believe 'twould be a passable location to fill our bellies. I have also heard the locals mention it to be a good place to hear rumors," she said, disdain for frivolities such as gossip evident in her tone.

IOI

Sabari grimaced as the bitter scent of sweat and stale beer assaulted her nose upon entering Dane's Refuge. She could hardly hear Alistair over the buzzing of the poor souls who sought to drink their fears away.

"Those are Loghain's men," Alistair hissed into the elf's ear. A heavily armored soldier caught sight of the elf and began to chuckle – a low throaty sound.

"Say boys, looks like we've just been blessed - didn't we just spend all morning asking about an elf that fits this very description?" His companions laughed in the same loutish manner as they sauntered over to their leader.

"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" The shortest man of the group –who had a large, red mustache- agreed with his superior. "Ain't she a pretty little thing."

"One step closer, _shem__…" _Sabari uttered the words in a low, menacing growl while she moved her hand to rest on the hilt of her dagger. Morrigan's disdainful gaze flickered to each of the men, as she made a clucking sound.

"These men are fools to get in our way," she remarked, placing a hand on her hip. Alistair looked from the elf to the witch to the three men standing in front of him. With a sigh, he prepared himself for a scuffle.

"And they're aiding an apostate – the Grey Wardens are eager to add to their list of crimes!" the leader of the small party announced.

"_Stupid shem, _I am guilty of no crime!" Sabari snapped, eyebrows knitting together. Alistair felt like warning them not to anger the elf - she only _looked_ harmless.

"I fought at Ostagar; it is because of the Grey Wardens' treachery that King Cailan is dead! I was there – I saw it!" the red-headed man exclaimed. Before Sabari could respond to the man's obvious idiocy, a soft, feminine voice interrupted the accusations.

"Surely this is some sort of misunderstanding – these are no doubt more people seeking refuge," the voice purred. Alistair turned his head quickly to see who the conversation's new addition was. A Chantry sister, enveloped in the sleek, beige robes characteristic of the Sisters, was hovering by Sabari's shoulder. The crimson-haired woman was barely taller than Sabari, and would have appeared at first glance to be nothing more than a concerned citizen were it not for the lethal gleam in her eyes.

"Stand back, _human; _I don't require your aid!" Sabari declared, shooting the woman a glare.

"It's not you I'm trying to aid - you look more than capable - it's these fools here that would follow their master's orders into your blades." The woman's face appeared serious, but Sabari could see laughter dancing in her silver-blue eyes.

"They are more than the innocent refugees your kind harbor, Sister, stay out of our way – you'll get the same if you help protect these traitors!" The captain growled.

"If it's a fight you want, _seth'lin__, _I am happy to oblige," Sabari smiled.

"Enough of this – take the warden into custody, and kill whoever tries to stop us!" the captain barked at his men. Grabbing his mace, he lunged toward the elf. Morrigan, wasting no time, conjured a chilling blast of air – freezing one soldier in his tracks. Alistair rushed forward, shoving the closest soldier back with his shield. Alistair was surprised to see the unarmed Chantry sister jump into the fray, wasting no time in clouting a surprised soldier square on the jaw. Sabari seized her opportunity in the chaos and ran up behind the captain, pulling him into an embrace with lethal intent – her sword was at his throat a heartbeat later.

"That's enough, I- we- surrender," the captain choked out.

"Good. Now we can all stop this senseless fighting," the crimson-haired woman stated. Listening to the lilting cadence of her voice, Alistair finally pegged her accent as Orlesian.

"I want you to deliver a message to Loghain," Sabari hissed into the man's ear. "Tell that pathetic excuse for a _regent_that the Grey Wardens know what _really_happened at Ostagar…"

"I'll tell him, right away – now. Thank you." The soldiers scurried like whipped dogs, one tripping over his feet, out of the inn. Sabari turned to face the young woman with the fiery hair.

"I apologize for interfering – I couldn't just sit by and not help," the woman told her with a shrug.

"You fight well for someone who wears the religious garb of humans," Sabari stated.

"I was not always a cloistered Sister – some of us who join the Chantry have had more... colorful lives." The woman paused for a moment, growing pensive. "Allow me to introduce myself; I am Leliana, Lay Sister of the Chantry of Lothering."

After exchanging pleasantries, Leliana invited herself to join their crusade; she claimed the Maker had sent her a vision and that the Grey Wardens cause was the work of the Maker. Sabari examined the Sister – she fought well without a blade, that much was true, but she seemed a bit too eager to throw herself in with them. Sabari also wasn't keen on listening to her prattle on about the Maker – however, they would need all the help they could get. It seemed that Loghain was running the Grey Warden name through the mud. Sabari swept her eyes over the group, judging who else would need new apparel. Alistair was already well-outfitted thanks to Ostagar, and Morrigan insisted on wearing her own garb. Leliana would need to be outfitted in something other than the robe she was wearing now, thankfully Morrigan didn't insist on wearing the usual garish robes that most mages seemed to prefer.

"You can come with us, but you had better be as useful as you claim," Sabari told the woman, her hand patting the pouch of coin she had confiscated from the bandits earlier – they had parted with fifteen sovereigns – Sabari hoped it would go far in collecting supplies.

IOI

Sabari strolled through the village, enjoying the silence that came with being alone and lost to her thoughts. The Qunari was a puzzling creature – Sabari had never seen a Qunari before, and when she asked him what he was, he had replied: "A prisoner." She found his abruptness entertaining, and agreed with Alistair when he had remarked that having a Qunari warrior would be beneficial to their cause. It had been the only subject Alistair and Morrigan had thus far agreed on, so Sabari readily agreed to work on freeing the hulking man. Sabari shifted her pack of supplies to her right shoulder, hoping the leathers she had picked up for Leliana would fit. An amused smile crept across the elf's face as she remembered the look on Alistair's face when she had pressured the human priest into giving her the key to the Qunari's cage – his eyes had almost fallen out of his skull.

"_You can't just march in there and __start threatening the Revered Mother!" Alistair shouted as they left the Chantry, grabbing the elf's arm and turning h__er to face him._

"_Don't touch me -" Sabari jerked her arm from his grasp. "She refused to give us the key, __we need the Qunari, now I have the key. I see no problem," she replie__d crisply. Sabari could see the warrior was upset with her though she did not understand why – it wasn't as though she threatened to kill the old woman - instead, she had simply advised it would be in the woman's best interests to part with it._

"_Alistair, take Leliana and Morrigan and acquire some provisions, herbs, and a pot," Sabari ordered, eager to get traveling again. "I am going to the armorer - we now have two more people to outfit. I will meet you at the Qunari's cage later." The elf turned sharply on her heel and headed off to find the armor..._

Sabari's reverie was forcefully broken as she walked headlong into someone...Shaking her head to clear it, looking up she saw an equally bewildered human woman peering at her; The woman's strikingly teal eyes were bright, and her skin was golden from time spent under the sun_._

"I'm sorry," the woman said as she bent down to help Sabari gather assorted bits of armor that had fallen out of her pack.

"_Ma serranas,_thank you," Sabari murmured, slinging the pack over her leather-clad shoulder.

"No problem at all. My name is Hawke, Lara Hawke," The woman said, smiling. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm not. My companions and I are just passing through as we head north," Sabari explained, giving the human an appraising look – her mahogany hair was tousled, as though she had just been wearing a helm, and her heavy plate armor did nothing to hide her feminine physique.

"Good idea – to get out of here, I mean – my brother and I just returned from that disaster at Ostagar, and now need to get my mother and sister out of here. After the defeat of the King and the wardens, the darkspawn horde moves unchecked in this direction – it will not be safe much longer," Hawke told the elf. "We must move with haste, now. Maker watch over you." The woman motioned to her dark-haired brother, who had remained silent throughout the interchange, and the pair set off into the village.

Sabari watched her retreating form for a moment, confused by the warrior's kindness – she had seen so few humans who would actually take the time to help an elf. Shaking her head, she continued on her way to the caged Qunari and the rest of her companions.

IOI

If the Qunari was happy to be freed from his prison, he did not show it. Sten, as he called himself, had agreed to help Sabari end the blight – though, as Alistair remarked, he didn't seem too impressed with the idea. Sabari wondered if the Qunari even had emotions. When they tried to leave the desolate village, a group of distraught villagers tried to stop them. They claimed there was a hefty bounty on the Grey Warden's heads and turning them in would feed a lot of hungry mouths. Leliana tried reasoning with the desperate men, but to no avail. Sabari regretted killing the un-armed men – though they had forced her hand, she knew those men probably had families, children...

_The men who killed my parents gave no second thoughts – why should I? _She shook her head, attempting to shake off the remorse that had begun to coil its way around her thoughts.

The fighting continued as they rounded the corner to return to the Imperial Highway – a small party of darkspawn had attacked a dwarven merchant and his son. Sabari and her companions dispatched the hurlocks with only minor hassle. After a brief introduction, the dwarf offered some coin in exchange for saving their lives. Sabari politely declined, telling them that she didn't require payment for helping someone who needed it. Alistair noticed her voice had a softer tone when speaking with the dwarf and his son - it seemed she reserved her animosity for humans. Alistair was no longer sure of where he stood with the elf – some days she was perfectly pleasant, while other times she ignored him completely. During her more withdrawn moods, though, he was usually able to elicit a laugh from her – in retrospect, he was unsure of whether she was actually laughing at his wit and charm, or if she simply thought him an idiot.

As the group bid farewell to the unusual dwarves, Alistair turned to look back at Lothering one more time, its silhouette burning red in the setting sun. He shivered as he took in the sight, hoping the skies were not an omen for what was in store for the village. As they began to walk away a sudden flash of color near his boot gave him pause - a single, red rose, strange in its perfection, lay discarded on the side of the crumbling highway. Glancing around to make sure that none of his companions up ahead were looking, he scooped up the flower and surreptitiously tucked it away in his pack.

_Maybe, just maybe, there is some beauty left to be found in this war-stricken place._


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N : A brief glimpse into an evening at camp - character development etc... Don't worry, there will be lots of action in the next chapter and even a P.O.V switch! Are you excited? I am - stay tuned!**_

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The camp was filled with the savory aroma of rabbit stewing over the crackling fire. The mellifluous sound of Leliana's lute cavorted through the cool evening breeze as Morrigan tended to supper. Sten sat with the wolf – the only member of their party he seemed to get along with – as Alistair whittled away at a piece of oak wood he had found in the wilds. As a boy in Redcliffe, Alistair had picked up the habit of carving small statuettes from his observation of one of the grizzled old soldiers, finding that it had a soothing effect and helped to pass the long, lonely nights he spent on his own. Though he hadn't put blade to wood in years, something about the camp had given him the desire to hone his skill once more. He ran his thumb absently over the rough chunk of wood he had picked up as he carefully shaved away the exterior layers. Though still unsure of what form this block would take, Alistair lost himself in the methodical work and allowed his mind to wander. The spicy scent of onions wafted toward the young warrior, and Alistair laughed softly to himself as he remembered the first – and last – time he cooked for Sabari and Morrigan. Sabari had snared a rabbit and returned to camp with a triumphant grin. Alistair offered to cook the hare, hoping to earn favor by giving Sabari a much needed break. Sadly, he had charred the creature beyond any hope of consuming it. If looks could kill, Alistair would have been dead on the spot under the withering glares from the witch and the elf. He had apologized with a sheepish grin, but Sabari had banned him from cooking – indefinitely.

"Why are you laughing?" Sten asked, shaking Alistair from his thoughts.

"I was remembering something funny – the last time I cooked," Alistair replied.

"Why is that...funny?" the Qunari asked, narrowing his strange violet eyes at the young man sitting across from him.

"It was funny because Alistair talked _so_ much about how well he could cook rabbit – I finally caught one, and by the time he was finished with it, not even one of those hounds the humans are so fond of would have eaten it." The sudden sound of Sabari's voice caused Alistair to jump – he hadn't heard her until she spoke from directly behind him.

"I see." The Qunari's deep voice clearly conveyed his own lack of amusement for the tale, and he immediately returned to the more productive task of cleaning the rusty chainmail Sabari had given him.

"I thought I heard you say you wanted your rabbit _well-done. _Besides, I don't have the proper cooking supplies with me," Alistair protested.

"If that is truly the case, you are only banned from cooking until we find ourselves proper, um...what do humans call it..." Sabari trailed off, unsure of the proper term

"A kitchen?" Leliana offered, sitting down beside the elf.

"Yes a...kitchen. If we ever find ourselves in a _kitchen, w_e will see if your cookingimproves," Sabari replied, the dusky glow of twilight illuminating the laughter in her eyes.

"You had better start preparing your taste buds now for the glorious day you have me in the kitchen!" Alistair declared. He was pleased to see that the elf seemed to be in better spirits than she had been the past week. He half listened to the Orlesian bard tittering away to Sabari about going dress shopping after the 'blight nonsense' was over. Alistair laughed inwardly when he caught Sabari's silent plea for help – shaking his head, he stretched and sauntered over to his tent.

IOI

Alistair hated to admit that he enjoyed Morrigan's cooking - he half-expected his portions to end up with all the bits that nobody wanted. Sighing, he leaned against his pack and peered up into the starless night sky that had enveloped the forest in it's dark, velvety embrace. He let his gaze flicker to the elf relaxing across the fire from him.

"Have you had a chance to go over the treaties yet?" Alistair asked her.

"No," Sabari said curtly.

"Oh," Alistair replied, raising his eyebrows. "Why not?"

Sabari gave a dramatic sigh before responding, "Because I cannot read your language,"she replied simply. Alistair grew thoughtful for a moment.

"How are you able to speak it then?" he asked, eyes shining with curiosity. Truth be told, Alistair did not know much about elves.

"Speaking a language and reading a language are two different things, Alistair. However, I _do_ remember you saying that the treaties call upon the mages, dwarves, elves and the humans to assist the Grey Wardens in the event of a Blight. Is there a reason you have brought this up?" Sabari arched her back as she stretched.

"No, well, yes..." Alistair sputtered - he had hoped that after spending more time in her company he would act less of a fool, but Maker, she made him nervous – her piercing eyes bored right through him. He fought the urge to throw his boot at the witch, who made a snide remark about his intelligence.

"What do you want to talk about, Alistair?" Sabari prodded, the corner of her lip quirked up.

"Well, I was wondering if you've given any thought as to where we should go first?" Alistair asked.

"You have some thoughts on this?" Sabari countered.

"I think we should go to Redcliffe first," he told her.

Sabari wondered why he would want to go there first, especially after the way the arl had treated him as a child. When she had first asked him if the Eamon had raised him, he had tried to deflect the question by claiming dogs had raised him, but when she finally pried it out of him, dogs weren't far from the truth. She wasn't familiar with the term 'bastard' – in her clan, if you were blessed with a child, _you_ helped to raise it. Hiding it away in stables until it was old enough to be shipped elsewhere was something unheard of within the Dalish.

"No, and before you ask me why, I am not running to some _shemlen_ lord like some boot-licking flat-eared dog. We have other treaties to call upon first. I _have_ thought of going to the Dalish first. I know of another clan that dwells inside the Brecilian forest, which happens to be closest to us," Sabari replied coolly.

"Of course it would be _your _first choice to go to the elves - if we went to Redcliffe to see the Arl first, we could find out what Loghain is planning." Alistair's brow furrowed. "I don't know why you have such hatred towards humans, but it's getting tiresome."

Sabari felt the tips of her ears burn at Alistair's ignorance.

"You want to know _why_ I hate humans?" Her glittering eyes narrowed. "You _shem _have enslaved my kind for centuries! Humans have destroyed our cities, defiled our sacred places, tortured us and claimed that we are godless savages, and robbed us of our culture. You've stolen from most of my kind what it means to be _Elvhen_ – just look at the pathetic elves you've shoved away in your cities if you don't believe me."

Alistair shivered under the elf's icy stare.

"My father believed that not all humans are the same. He told me that we should not treat them all like remorseless murderers – it was that belief that got him and my mother killed." Sabari's voice dropped to a whisper. "Before they were cut down in front of me, I had almost come to believe that maybe not all of your kind were ignorant. I was wrong."

Only the sound of rustling leaves could be heard as Sabari stood up, brushed the dirt off of her breeches and stalked into the dark forest. Alistair, feeling terrible, rose to go after her but was stopped by Natu, whose silver fur bristled at the warrior. He uttered a menacing snarl before sauntering after his mistress.

"It seems I was wrong about you. You're not stupid – you're a complete imbecile," Morrigan declared as she headed back to her tent. Alistair gave Leliana a pleading look, hoping she would have a kind word to say in his favor.

"Normally your awkwardness is endearing, Alistair, but elven oppression is common knowledge here in Ferelden.," she replied in her melodious voice. With a sigh, he turned his gaze to meet the Qunari's violet stare, Sten only shook his head and turned away, muttering something about 'the lesser warden.'

The night dragged on painfully as Alistair attempted to fall asleep. Sabari had returned to camp after an hour to relieve him from watch duty. He winced at the memory of her disdainful look as she had walked by him, declaring that he 'had better be ready at dawn for they would be leaving shortly after,' her acid-laden tone seared into his mind. Alistair cursed himself for speaking rashly – he knew she had reason to be distrustful of humans, but had hoped she would see him in a different light. Maker, she had seemed friendly enough during their first meeting. He had been feeling frustrated over her inconsistent familiarity, but now he had given her reason to group him together with the rest of the 'ignorant shemlen.' It seemed an eternity before Alistair's thoughts finally spiraled into the realm of dreamers.

IOI

The lilting _chirrup chirrup_ of the morning birds woke Alistair. The sun was beginning to peek from behind the horizon, bathing the clouds in a golden glow. He hurried to dress himself, wanting to speak to Sabari in private. He found the elf dozing by the smoldering embers of last night's fire – she looked serene, lying there in the haze of dawn, the morning glow erasing the lines of the frown that seemed permanently etched onto her delicate features. Alistair placed a hesitant hand on the elf's shoulder, allowing himself one last glance at her peaceful form before softly rousing her.

At the sound of a man's voice in such proximity to her, Sabari's hand instinctively darted to her sword. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the morning light. Recognition dawned on her as the man before her came into focus – she scowled as she looked into Alistair's amber eyes.

"Look, before you say anything, I wanted to...apologize for my ignorance last night. It was incredibly stupid to ask such a question. It's just...I -" Alistair looked down at his hands with a sigh. "At any rate, I just wanted to say I'm sorry, and if you want to go to the Dalish first; then I will follow you wholeheartedly, oh fearless leader," Alistair told her, trying to smile though his heart was pounding.

Sabari gave the young man an appraising look - his eyes said it all, and she knew his apology was heartfelt.

She quirked an eyebrow, watching the perspiration bead on the warrior's forehead, taking pleasure in watching him squirm. She felt an amused smile spread across her features.

"It is good to know you don't question my command, it wouldn't do to have two of us vying for leadership - the others might get confused" she replied, her voice taking on an airy quality.

"Me? Lead? No, no, no – bad things always happen when I lead. People die and somehow I end up alone without my pants - it's very sad," Alistair replied in mock horror. Sabari repressed her laughter – it would take more than a few jokes to forgive him.

Once the rest of the companions were up they were able to pack up camp swiftly, and set off southeast toward the Brecilian forest. When the towering arms of the ancient oaks finally came into view, Sabari felt the all-too familiar sense of foreboding envelope her once again. She had thought returning to the forest would have calmed her spirit – instead she felt ensnared in turmoil.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Sorry for the long wait between updates, dear readers. Have no fear, inspiration has come back and I hope to be done chapter 15 shortly. As always, thank you for reading. A special thanks to Kyla Baines and Dominicgrim for letting me bounce idea's off them, you guys rock! Happy tenth day of the new year! To celebrate I've translated some elvish:**_  
_**Falon - friend**_  
_**Len'alas leth'din - dirty child whom no one loves.**_

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Chapter 14

The crackling of footsteps across the dry autumn leaves that blanketed the ground of the Brecilian Forest alerted the elves to trespassers within their domain; no elvhen would tread so carelessly through the forest. The female elf who led their small hunting party motioned for her comrades to follow her; they silently crept to the edge of a mossy overlook to spy on the intruders. The small female pushed back a strand of blonde hair from her face as she peered down – icy blue eyes widened in shock at the sight before her: Two _shemlen_ women, a _shemlen_ warrior, and a tall, muscular, horned man were crashing obliviously through the forest led by a wolf and an elf.

"Just say the word, Mithra, and we will exterminate these pathetic _shemlen_," her dark-haired companion whispered into her ear as he and his fellow archers pulled the strings of their bows taut.

"Silence, Khaz, do you not see what leads them?" Mithra hissed back at him. She watched as his ebony eyes widened in disbelief.

"Why, it's an elf...is that Mythal's vallas'in marked upon her?" he gasped.

"The real question is this: why is she is leading those vermin toward our camp?" Mithra countered.

"Normally, I'd say slavery, but she walks unbound. Again I ask, shall we kill them now?" Khaz repeated, tightening his hold on the ornately beaded bow.

"Zathrian would be displeased if he found out we murdered one of our own – we will stop them and find out what they are doing here, though," Mithra declared. She chose Khaz and the youngest hunter of the group to accompany her on their scouting mission, ordering the other hunters to report back to Zathrian. Mithra glanced back at the curious group, her icy eyes flickering with interest as she absorbed the strange sight before her. Shuddering at the sight of the wolf, she silently lead her comrades into the towering trees to head their 'guests' off before they reached the valley that her clan currently called home.

IOI

The humans looked shocked when three elves had appeared – seemingly out of nowhere – in front of them, though the tall grey man seemed unimpressed. Mithra bit back a laugh as she heard the elf hiss at the shemlen warrior to put away his sword – not that the blade would've gotten him far with two trained Dalish hunters standing slightly behind her, bowstrings straining to release their deadly missiles.

"_Andaran Atishàn, falon._ What brings you to our part of the forest?" Mithra asked the raven-haired elf – she wondered why she looked so familiar. Their voices crackled with electricity as they exchanged introductions in their native tongue – the elvhen words surged together, rendering it impossible for an outsider to understand what they were saying. Mithra learned that the elf's name was Sabari, previously of the Sabrae clan. Mithra now recognized why she looked so familiar, as her father had been Keeper of the clan. Sabari was now a Grey Warden – an odd fate to befall a hunter of the Dalish! She had been away from her clan for over a month, and was now charged with the seemingly impossible task of rallying an army to defend Ferelden against the dreaded darkspawn. Mithra discovered that the shemlen warrior was her fellow Grey Warden, and the rest were the elf's allies who had offered to help her in the daunting task ahead. Deciding that Zathrian would, at the very least, want to speak with this woman, Mithra motioned for the elf and her companions to follow her through the bare trees

IOI

Alistair was pretty sure that the fragile friendship he and Sabari had managed to build was about to come crashing down around him once they reached the Dalish. He had all but cowered under her angry stare when she had shouted at him to put his sword away. He managed to explain to her on their way to the Dalish camp that it was just his reaction to being surprised.

It would be the one time that I don't draw my weapon, that we'd be overrun by a horde of flaming genlocks, and somehow that would be my fault too.

Alistair sighed wearily and tried not to make a sound as he followed the elves through the forest – he noticed the disparaging looks they would give him every time a twig snapped or a leaf rustled, which was often.

After meeting the clan's Keeper, Zathrian, and discovering that they required aid in curing the curse of Lycanism, Sabari and her companions were permitted to enter the encampment. The Dalish were polite, even if coldly so - a malicious distrust hung in the air the entire time they were in camp. Alistair eventually decided to let Sabari gather details from her fellow elves, and led the others to wait at a spot located safely at the fringes of camp.

Sabari ambled through the aravels, revelling in the crisp forest air, with the vague plan of finding information about the werewolf attacks. She had heard of werewolves before, but had thought them to be just a myth the older children used to scare the younglings. Sabari was thoroughly enjoying her solitude as she listened to the remaining leaves rustle in the cool autumn wind. Her happiness was short-lived, however, as she noticed the glares some of the elves were giving her. Shaking off the distrustful stares, she wandered toward the halla enclosure where she found one of the stags in distress – it reared up against its handler, bleating loudly. Not thinking, she moved quickly to place a gentle hand on the stag's brow to soothe the distraught animal. She intertwined her fingers in its sleek, luminescent coat in an attempt to calm the creature. Running her fingers down the stag's spiraling antlers, she felt a wave of comfort wash over her. Sabari always had felt an affinity with the majestic beasts – they reminded her of her mother who had been able to speak with the Halla that she tended to in their own clan. She breathed a soft shushing sound as she buried her face into the stag's ivory neck, taking in its rich, earthy scent.

"_Ma serranas da'len_! Alain has been fretful for two days now and I fear he may have been bitten by a werewolf. Please, may I speak with him?"

Sabari was brought out of her revelry by a soft voice. Turning to see who the voice belonged to, she discovered it was an elder elf; gratitude shining in her deep, brown eyes.

"Of course Hahren."Sabari brought her hands together and bowed her head out of respect. The woman's hair was the same colour as the halla she tended to, making her tanned skin appear even darker. The elder spoke to the creature in a quick stream of elvish – Sabari was barely able to distinguish what she was saying. After she finished, the elder turned to Sabari.

"Forgive my rudeness, my name is Elora, caretaker of the Halla. It seems Alain's mate has been bitten so I must tend to her." The elder's voice was grave. "Wait - you are Taron's daughter?"

"_Mae_, I am," Sabari replied. She could feel her heart pounding at her ribcage at the mention of her father's name. "But, how do you..."

"I met him the first Arlathavan I was allowed to attend – he was very wise. You are the image of your father." Elora paused for a moment, absentmindedly stroking the Halla's chin. "Tell me, da'len, is it true that you came here with humans? That you now walk with Grey Wardens?"

"Yes, _hahren_," Sabari replied with a bitter edge. "To be clanless and sent to live amongst the _shemlen _is a fitting punishment for one such as myself."

"You are hurting inside, yes?" Elora murmured. "It eats at your spirit worse than the sickness you encountered. _Da'len_, let me tell you something: what happened to your parents was a tragedy – may Fen'harel himself take the cursed souls responsible – but I knew your father very well and he would be proud his daughter stands with the Grey Wardens. He would be proud that his daughter is fighting to protect not just her own people, but humans and city elves alike." The elder woman brushed a leaf from the Halla's white fur. "Your father used to say 'malice is not prejudiced – it plagues every race.' It is not just the shemlen who hold dark secrets, da'len."

Sabari let the woman's words sink in – it was true, her father often used to say that not all humans were bad, and she had believed him up until the day he was murdered. She wondered if he would truly be proud of her. She thanked the elder for speaking with her and set off to regroup with her companions, her mind afire.

As she rounded the corner, Sabari heard a raised voice, a frown spreading across her face as she caught sight of a young elf threatening Alistair. Alistair had his hands up in a placating gesture, but the young hunter drew his sword and lunged toward the warrior. Without thinking, Sabari flung herself at the elf and pushed him out of the way.

"You defend this-this _shemlen_ against one of your own people?" the hunter spat, hatred boiling in his dark eyes.

"Quiet, child - your youth betrays you. This man is a Grey Warden and under my protection – you will not bother him or any of my companions again," Sabari replied coolly.

"_Len'alas leth'din_, I hope he sells you to a good master once he is through with you!" The elf shook with fury - he looked as if he was wanted to say more, but turned and stalked back into the camp. The words stung Sabari with the strength of an acid-coated blade, her jade eyes echoed the pain for a moment before she barked out orders – though her sorrow had only been reflected for an instant, Alistair had caught it.

IOI

The leafless trees cut jagged silhouettes into the darkening sky. Night was falling, threatening to extinguish any source of light deep in the forest, when Sabari motioned to the group that they were stopping for the night. She knew that even she wouldn't be able to see well this far into the forest, and was doubtful her human companions would fare better. She had chosen Morrigan, Leliana, and Alistair to accompany her – she didn't know how Natu would react to the werewolves, she decidied to spare him the experience, she had asked Sten to take the wolf and set up camp at the outskirts of the forest. She was pleased with their progress so far - they had travelled since sun-up and the tracking was going well. It was easy to tell the difference between werewolf tracks and those of wolves. She smiled to herself, remembering Alistair's child-like enthusiasm when she had shown him the difference between the two. Sabari decided that she and Alistair would take first watch. The two grey wardens sat beside each other in the dark, the waxing moon illuminating their silhouettes. Sabari was drawn from her thoughts at the far-off sound of twigs snapping – glancing at Alistair, she noticed he was resting his head on his hands. Hesitantly she prodded him with her leather-clad foot – he didn't react – and with a heavy sigh she realized he must have nodded off.

"Wake up," she hissed into his ear, giving him a swift kick in the shin to exemplify the urgency of her request.

"Ow, why did you -" Alistair began to groan, but Sabari quickly placed her hand over his mouth. She listened to him mumble un-intelligibly against her hand for a moment before whispering in his ear.

"Something is coming – wait here, be ready. I'll go wake the others." She slid off the rock she had been perched on. Pausing for a moment, she turned to look at the warrior, who appeared to be puzzled. "I'd ask you to do it, but you're so loud you'd wake the uthenera." She shot him a grin before silently moving to wake the other two.

Alistair watched after her retreating form, more confused than he had been when she kicked him awake. He had no idea what an uthenera was, but even more puzzling was her tone – had the elf made a joke? Maybe the forest air was improving her mood. He didn't have time to think on it any further as a loud howl jolted him from his thoughts. He drew his sword as he whirled around to find what could only be a werewolf bearing down on him. The humanoid creature was taller than any man Alistair had ever seen - it snapped at him with over-sized fangs, its hot, rancid breath made him feel dizzy. Shaking his head to clear it, Alistair pushed the beast back with a thrust of his shield, wasting no time in sinking his blade into the monsters belly. He pulled the sword from the creature and watched it crumple to the forest floor before whirling around to further assess the situation. The vicious snarls of the werewolves filled the night sky, accompanied by the thrumming of magic in the air.

"Enough." A voice roared over the din at the campsite.

Sabari whirled around to see a massive werewolf standing in the centre of the chaos, and he was quickly joined by two smaller werewolves; it appeared the larger one was their leader.

"So, another of the Dalish has come to put us in our place, come to make us pay for our attacks," the mottled werewolf growled as he approached Sabari. She ran her thumb along the blade of her dagger.

"You speak?" Sabari arched an eyebrow at the creature. "And here I thought werewolves were nothing but mindless, savage beasts."

"We are savage beasts, yes, but we are no longer mindless. Let that thought chill your spine," the werewolf snarled. "You speak with Swiftrunner, I who lead my cursed brothers and sisters. Turn back now - tell Zathrian if he won't lift the curse, we will gladly watch the Dalish suffer the same cruel fate, we have suffered for so long. We will watch them pay..."

"Did Zathrian place this curse upon -"

"Do not listen to this beast's lies - I'm here to kill Witherfang, that is all," Sabari said, interrupting the bard before she could finish her sentence. "If you bring me to the creature, I might consider sparing your life."

"Foolish elf, you are no less arrogant than your cursed brethren!" the werewolf called Swiftrunner spat. "You should listen to your companion more, for there is much Zathrian has not told you..."

"Silence, dog, tell me where Witherfang is!" Sabari shouted, growing more and more frustrated with the beast. The werewolf laughed – a low, throaty growl – prickling the hairs on Sabari's neck.

"Enough of this idle chatter – we have taken your Alpha right in front of you, but you were so absorbed in your own hubris that I doubt you've noticed."

Sabari swept her eyes over the campsite – dawn was starting to break, silently escorted by a thick fog that hung lazily in the forest. The diffused light allowed her to see the fallen werewolves, a shredded tent, Leliana and Morrigan who stood near her, but...

"Our what? Our alpha?" Morrigan, who had been watching the exchange with mild interest, began to laugh. "Surely you don't mean -"

"Where's Alistiar?" Sabari demanded, as anxiety coiled itself around her and began to constrict.

"He is with the Lady," Swiftrunner grumbled. "If you wish to see him again, you will have to come to us."

Sabari lunged at the werewolf, blinded by anger, but Swiftrunner swatted the elf to the ground with a clawed hand. With a vicious growl, Swiftrunner and the remaining werewolves disappeared into the mist. Sabari picked herself up off the damp forest floor, cursing in a string of elvish.

"It seems the wolves have taken our favourite templar," Leliana stated. "It would also appear that Zathrian hasn't been truthful... What do you intend to do, Warden?"

"Zathrian's only mistake was not telling us the werewolves are capable of their own thoughts – he might not have known, himself. However, we must find Alistair," Sabari replied. She was trying to make excuses for the clan's keeper but a voice in the back of her head said something wasn't right. Shaking off the uncertainty, she began to pack up the remnants of their camp.

"T'is likely if we leave Alistair with them long enough, they'll simply bring him back," Morrigan declared as she gathered her scattered potions. "His incessant blabbering will surely drive them mad."

"In Orlais, if a girl constantly picks on a boy, it means that she is secretly soft on him – did you know this, Morrigan?

Morrigan?" Leliana asked the witch, her voice cloyingly sweet. "Of course this mostly happens in the schoolyards."

Sabari didn't hear the witch's undoubtedly snide retort – she was tangled in her own thoughts like a fly in a web as they quickly salvaged what was left of their camp and set off deeper into the forest. Though the forest usually served to calm Sabari, after the strange turn of events she found herself transported back in time, remembering a fair morning not so long ago when her lifelong friend had wandered into an unexplored cave with her, never to be seen again. Was she doomed to repeat that day again, this time with a man she was only beginning to realize wasn't the enemy?

* * *

_**A/N - Uthenera is the name of the ancient practice of the immortal elves, who would "sleep" once they tired of life. Translated literally: Eternal waking dream. Woot! The more you know, thanks dragonagewikia! **_

_**Anyhow,I'm kinda stuck on who to do the next chapters perspective in...maybe you guys can help me? I want to write from either Alistair, Morrigan or Sabari's persepctive. Perhaps if you would be so kind to leave a review and let me know what you think? **_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N - First off, let me apologize for the long wait in between chapters. This chapter kinda ran away with itself and I had to split it into two; there will not be such a long wait in between these two. Thanks to my awesome beta, Kyla Baines, for her wicked beta skills - you rock! A big howdy to the latest batch of story followers, I'm glad you're with us. **_

* * *

_A bead of sweat formed on his furrowed brow and trickled down into the templar's left eye; h__e blinked away the stinging sensation just in time to clash blades with Ser Erhyn. Her intense gray eyes locked with his own. Alistair didn't even know why he was dueling in the first place - the Knight Commander had explicitly told him that he would _not _be participating in the tournament the Redcliffe Chantry was holding in honour of the Grey Warden's visit. Alistair knew the commander hoped the warden would choose someone from their ranks – all the commander wanted was glory for his order. The ringing of steel on steel brought Alistair back to the task at hand. Ser Erhyn brought her sword down in a graceful arc and Alistair instinctively met her blade with his. He found himself shocked by the female templar's strength as she tried to use her sword to knock him off balance – though he shouldn't have been surprised. Ser Erhyn was undefeated so far, and Alistair thought the Knight Commander must be trying to make a fool of him. With anger beginning to boil in t__he pit of his stomach, Alistair thrust his shield into his opponents chest, knocking her back a few steps. He watched as the woman sprang back to her feet, and, with a hoarse yell, he lunged blindly towards her. Ser Erhyn proved too __nimble for him, __and as she feinted to __the left, he stepped into her trap and was forced to yield. Alistair took his helmet of__f, his breathing ragged, and absorbed the image of the templars cheering for their sister. Part of him felt sad; he had always felt out of place here, and he felt it more than ever right now. Nevertheless, he h__ad gotten to fight a few times today even though he hadn't expected to, and that was something. With a shrug and a smile, he waved to the Knight-Commander's booth, and walked out of the arena._

_The tournament was over, but instead of remaining with the other templars __ while they waited for the winner to be announced, Alistair decided to sneak back to the trainee quarters. He spirited quickly down the dark hallway, pleased he hadn't encountered any of the Chantry's Sisters on the way. Once he was safely back inside his quarters, he began to remove his armor piece by piece, taking great care in hanging it on the rack. He sat down on the small bunk he slept on and yawned. The few matches he had been in exhausted him. He was in the middle of plotting ways to have a nap without being caught when a sharp knock on the door startled him from his mischievous thoughts. When he opened the door he was surprised to find a swarthy, bearded man standing in front of him._

"_You were missing from the final ceremony," the man stated in a stern voice. Alistair studied the man. He cle__arly wasn't a templar judging from his strange armor; the man wore leather breeches with a chainmail hauberk emblazoned with a griffon on the chest. A griffon was the symbol of the Grey Wardens - had the Knight-Commander sent one of the Wardens to chastise him? That would be new,__as the c__ommander usually__ liked to punish the wayward trainees himself._

"_Well, if I know the Commander - and I like to think I do – his parties are usually quite boring..." __Alistair leaned against the door frame, hoping he sounded as casual as he was trying to act. "He doesn't even offer snacks - I mean, who does that?"_

_The warden's intense gaze bored through him, but Alistair thought he could see a smile threatening to steal onto the his face._

"_My name is Duncan, and, if I am not mistaken, you are Alistair?"_

"_If you are looking for Alistair to share a cake with then, yes, I a__m," the y__oung templar replied. "However, if you are looking for Alistair to spend the next night or two in repentance, you're looking for the Alistair who stays in the room two doors down."_

_Duncan raised an amused eyebrow at the young man before him. "I am looking for the Alistair I plan on recruiting to the Grey Wardens."_

_Alistair wasn't sure how long he stood there with his mouth hanging open – he knew the warden must be doubting his choice by now._

"_Perhaps I do have the wrong Alistair__?" the ward__en probed._

"_But, I didn't even win!" Alistair blurted out._

"_I did not ask for a tournament, nor did I offer recruitment as a prize," Duncan paused for a moment and fixed his ebony eyes on the young man before him. "I came to find someone with character and I believe I have."_

_The warden smiled at Alistair..._

IOI

A cool drop of water slid down the mottled stone wall; the cool sensation on the warrior's cheek startled him awake. Alistair blinked his eyes blearily, trying to take in his surroundings, but with the sharp pain gnawing its way through the back of his head, this was no easy task. His eyes adjusted to the dim light quickly and he let his gaze drift over the centuries old stone to an intricately carved marble dais situated in the centre of the room. The uneven ground was damp, causing Alistair to shiver while he tried to remember what happened to him. There was a pungent odour that hung in the air - it smelled a lot like the kennels back in Redcliffe, and, for a brief moment he entertained the idea that perhaps he _was_ there. Banishing the foolish thought from his mind, he stood up and scanned the room; he didn't seem to be caged in whatsoever. Hesitantly he took a step forward and then stopped abruptly to bend over to pick up a smooth stone, he thumbed it for a moment before tossing it gently in front of him. Halfway through its downward arch – violet sparks erupted at the stone's touch. A crisp breeze seemingly came out of nowhere, cavorting past Alistair as he watched the violet embers spiral down to the floor, disappearing into tiny plumes of perfumed smoke.

"And I bet it would turn men into toads..." Alistair groused, shaking his head to clear it of the heavily-scented fog. A mournful howl echoed in the cavern - an eerie cacophony. It was then Alistair realized where he was, and why it smelled of wet dog – werewolves.

An ethereal woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, startling Alistair from his thoughts. He felt a blush creep across his face as he noticed shapely thighs entwined with roots. He quickly averted his gaze from the exposed celadon skin and focused on the onyx eyes that glittered from behind dark, unkempt tresses.

"I bid you welcome, mortal." The haunting voice of the spirit caressed the air. "I am the Lady of the Forest."

"Oh, hello. To be quite honest I was expecting another werewolf," Alistair huffed, pointedly staring at the spirit's straight-edged nose.

"No, that I am not," the spirit replied; her low, unearthly voice was eerie yet tranquil, like the forest itself.

"A relief, that is." Alistair paused for a moment, unsure of how to address the apparition. "I have a question, if I may?"

Alistair didn't have much experience with spirits – he had only witnessed the one failed Harrowing, and once was enough for him. He had heard of spirits in the Fade, and had encountered walking trees – the Sylvan, as they are called, are usually trees possessed by demons. Sometimes benevolent spirits inhabited the trees and they were to be respected, Sabari had explained to him. Alistair winced inwardly as the spirit's unblinking eyes swept over him. He found her presence off-putting.

"No doubt you have questions, mortal, for there are many things Zathrian has not told you," the lady intoned.

"Such as?" Alistair let the question linger on his tongue for a moment. He wondered what the Keeper had omitted.

"It was Zathrian who created the curse that these creatures suffer. The same curse Zathrian's people now suffer." The Lady told Alistair about the tribe of humans that sought to drive the Dalish away when they first came to Ferelden. Zathrian had been a young man then - the Keepers First - and he'd had a son and daughter that he loved greatly.

"One day while the children were at play, members of the human tribe captured them both. The humans tortured the boy until he died." The spirit paused for a moment, closing her emotionless eyes for the first time. "The girl they raped and left for dead. The Dalish found her, but she later learned she was with child... She killed herself." A willowy finger wrapped in vines caught the lone tear that glistened on the spirit's malachite cheek.

"Zathrian came to this ruin and summoned a terrible spirit, binding it to the body of a great wolf," the Lady of the Forest continued, "and so Witherfang came to be."

Alistair listened quietly as the Lady explained how Witherfang hunted down the human tribe - he killed most of them, but some were left cursed by the wolf's blood. He had thought the leader of the Dalish clan wasn't telling them everything, he didn't voice his opinion to their volatile leader – Sabari had been prickly since Ostagar. The lady seemed content to leave him to ponder for a moment, for she stood in pensive silence while he fumbled with the vial of darkspawn blood he kept on a chain around his neck. A loud growl broke him from thoughts; he looked up in time to see a powerfully-built werewolf bound up to where he and the Lady were standing. The creature stopped and lowered its bestial head reverently in front of the spirit.

"The intruders have entered the ruins my Lady. What would you have us do?" Though the beast spoke the human language, its tone was low and guttural.

The spirit closed her eyes, and a rather long and uncomfortable moment passed. Alistair tried not to grimace as the bitter smell of sweat assaulted his nose; he stifled a cough and hoped the beasts didn't have fleas. The creature flicked a leathery ear in his direction at the muted cough and growled his displeasure.

"And what of this one," the werewolf snarled, spittle flying from its jaws. "Has he agreed to aid us?"

"A moment, Gatekeeper," The Lady raised a long-fingered hand to silence the beast before turning back to Alistair.

"If your mate refuses to listen to us, will you speak on our behalf?" Gatekeeper growled, transfixing Alistair with his feral yellow eyes.

"My _what_?" he managed to ask without laughing in the creatures face – he didn't think that would go over so well.

"Sabari is not my..._mate, _however, I will speak on your behalf." Alistair wondered how the elf would act upon hearing the new information. She was fiercely Dalish, but she was not without reason. She would surely understand that the people who committed these atrocities were long dead. It seemed, to Alistair anyway, the creatures were being punished for being _human._

"Tell the mortal I wish to parley," the Lady declared in a low voice. The werewolf growled his obedience.

"As you wish, my lady." The beast crouched down, all muscle covered in fine coat of silver fur, and began to sprint from the chamber. Alistair glanced to his right and saw the spirit begin to mutter. He began to smell that sweet, intoxicating scent again and his vision began to blur. He blinked groggily at the spirit through the fog that tinged his sight, and he vaguely understood that she was responsible for it. Her soft, serene voice was the last thing he heard before the darkness finally shrouded him, a warm and comforting cocoon.

IOI

They had been sent on an errand for an old Sylvan; it seemed the wizened old tree had lost an acorn. It had told them if they found the acorn stolen from him, it would allow them passage through the veil that had been placed around the ruins. The elf had agreed to the spirit's request even though Morrigan was outspoken against the idea.

"Do you think it wise to run the errands of a rhyming tree?" she had asked, with a sculpted eyebrow quirked. Sabari gave the witch a wry smile before telling her that unless her magic could part the impenetrable mist that was blocking their way, she was stuck foraging with the rest of them.

Sabari wasn't familiar with this part of the land, as her own clan had lived in the southern end of the forest, but after some time spent away from her human companions, she was able to discern a footprint in the leafy mud. Squinting her eyes, she looked into the distance and saw the tell-tale sign of smoke rising lazily into the air. She smiled and raised her eyes to the east. Noting that the moon was already beginning to make its way across the still-light sky, she rose and dusted her black trousers off before hastening back to her companions.

The old hermit had been maddening to deal with, but after what seemed like an endless amount of questions – he finally agreed to trade the acorn for earrings. They had returned quickly to the old oak tree and it had given them one of its branches out of gratitude. Leliana wished she could have stayed a bit longer, just to talk to the sylvan - it seemed awfully lonely with just an acorn to keep it company – and hear stories it must have to tell. They bid farewell to the tree and began backtracking their way to the mysterious barrier.

IOI

Nothing had turned out the way Sabari had expected. She had expected to fight her way into the werewolves' lair, kill Witherfang, and rescue Alistair; but here she was being led down a dark, musty corridor by a werewolf that called himself the Gatekeeper. Sabari had never heard of this Lady of the Forest, but if she wished to parley, she would hear what would be said. Then she would get back to the task at hand: acquiring Witherfang's heart. She didn't hear the werewolf's threat to come back from the Fade to punish her if she harmed the lady. Indeed, she didn't hear much at all, for she was too absorbed in her own thoughts- she barely even noticed they seemed to be venturing further underground. It was only the rusty creak of a steel door and the deafening snarls that greeted their party as they entered a chamber that shook her from her thoughts. Sabari swept her eyes around the room, glancing disdainfully at the mangy assortment of werewolves on either side of them. Strangely enough, the air was fresher in here. Sabari wondered if it had anything to do with the ethereal woman that stood in the centre of the room.

"Greetings, mortal," the woman spoke, holding Sabari in her strange, dark eyes. The elf stood tight-lipped while the spirit introduced herself. She was beautiful, Sabari decided – long, dark hair caressed half-exposed breasts while leafy tendrils twisted up pale-green legs.

"May your ways be green and golden, _my_ lady," Sabari replied sarcastically.

"You will not speak to the lady in that manner!" A large russet werewolf, who stood beside the spectre, snarled– Sabari recognized the wolf from their attack on camp.

"Hush, Swiftrunner, your urge for battle has only seen the death of the ones you want to save; is this what you want?" the Lady said in placating tones to soothe the creature.

"No, my lady, anything but that." Swiftrunner sounded distraught – a fact that surprised Sabari, as she was under the impression that the werewolves were supposed to be mindless, killing monsters.

"I apologize on Swiftrunner's behalf; he struggles with his nature," the spirit said, a wistful smile tugging at the corner of her pale lips.

"Don't we all?" Sabari asked, resting her hand lightly on the hilt of her short-sword.

"Perhaps." The spectre trailed a willowy finger down the beasts hulking shoulder. "But few could claim the same as these creatures. Their very nature is a curse inflicted on them."

"You say it is a curse inflicted upon them, but how am I supposed to pity these beasts when they have cursed my people and abducted my fellow Grey Warden?" Sabari paused for a moment and scanned the room once more. "Where is Alistair?" she demanded.

With a nod of the spirit's head, Swiftrunner let out a howl and a lone werewolf came out of a side door with Alistair slumped over his shoulder. The creature walked over to where they were standing and roughly dropped the still warrior onto the ground.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sabari growled. Before she could utter a threat the lady held up a hand to placate the elf. She knelt down beside the lifeless form and began whispering over him while trailing her hands over his length. Within moments, Sabari heard the familiar grumbling that accompanied the warrior when he was roused – in his opinion – too early from sleep.

Alistair sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily. Perhaps it had been a dream after all, maybe he would wake up and be back at – his eyes widened as he saw Sabari standing over him, staring with a furrowed brow and crossed arms. He thought maybe he was back at camp until he noticed the hulking, reddish-brown werewolf standing behind the elf.

"Ah, Sabari, fancy meeting you here," he said, mustering up what he hoped was a casual grin and he was pleased to find the elf smiled back, briefly.

"Very well, spirit. You have brought me here, so what would you have of me?" Sabari asked, as she felt a wave of relief wash over her – he was alive, thank the creators!

The Lady of the Forest told Sabari and the rest of her group that it was Zathrian who created the curse out of revenge for the death of his children. How Witherfang was created and set upon the human tribe hundreds of years ago, and how those humans were long dead but the beings they cursed lived on for generations as pitiful and mindless animals.

"Until I found you, my lady. You gave me peace,"Swiftrunner rumbled, closing his eyes.

"I showed Swiftrunner there is another side to his bestial nature." The spirit paused to place her hand on the wolf's brow. "I soothed his rage and his humanity emerged, so he brought others to me."

"It appears Zathrian has misled us," Leliana said softly.

"T'is not _really_ surprising, is it?" Morrigan laughed.

_Why would Zathrian not tell me this!? Did he not think it important to mention that _he_ created the curse? Why lie to me: a daughter of the Dalish? _Sabari closed her eyes to shut out the intrusive thoughts – none of this made any sense.

"Why did you attack the Dalish, then? Is this revenge?" Sabari asked.

"In part, yes. We seek to end the curse; the crimes committed against Zathrian's children were grave, but it was centuries ago, and done by those who are long dead," the lady replied softly. "Word has been sent to Zathrian every time his landships passed through this way. But he has always ignored us. We will no longer be ignored."

"We spread the curse to his people, so he must end the curse to save them," Swiftrunner explained in his guttural tone.

"Please, mortal - you must go to him and bring him here. If he sees these creatures, hears their plight, surely he will end the curse," the lady pleaded.

Sabari was surprised by the wave of empathy that crashed over her, but quickly squashed it down. She would not betray her own people by sympathizing with these monsters.

"I did not come here to listen to the lies of werewolves," Sabari growled. "I came here to kill Witherfang, that's it."

"If Zathrian comes, I shall summon Witherfang – I possess that power." The spirit narrowed her obsidian eyes. "I also have the power to ensure Witherfang is never found. Tell Zathrian this: if he does not come, and if he does not break the curse, he will never find Witherfang and never cure his people."

Sabari tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword and took a deep breath before speaking. "I am no messenger, spirit. I will find Witherfang with or without your help."

Alistair, who had remained quiet during the exchange, finally spoke up. "Sabari, please listen to them. We have to do what's right here, no matter what!"

"I am doing what is right by _my_ people Alistair; do not involve yourself in matters you do not understand!" Her tone was more acidic than she had meant it to be.

"It was centuries ago, Sabari - _centuries! _Why should these creatures suffer for crimes they did not commit?" Alistair goaded.

"Because humans _should_ suffer for what they have done to us, whether it be the atrocities they committed thousands of years ago or for the crimes they continue to commit!" Sabari declared.

The fleeting look that the Lady gave to Swiftrunner went unnoticed by the impassioned elf. Morrigan's keen eyes, though, which rarely missed anything, noticed the silent exchange with curiosity. Amused by the entire ordeal, she remained silent, interested to see how much more drama could unfold in this volatile forest.

Tact and diplomacy are not so much your specialty –" Alistair began, but was cut off by his own howl of pain as Swiftrunner sank long teeth deep into his shoulder. Sabari watched in horror as the man fell to the ground, trembling in pain as the venom began to course through his veins. The Lady stared sadly at the twitching figure on the ground in front of her, then back at Sabari before speaking again.

"If you will not go to Zathrian to end the curse for your own people, then maybe you will go on behalf of your lover."

"My _what_!?" Sabari sputtered. This was madness - all she had wanted was to save her people, and after the disappearance of Alistair, save him too. None of thiswas supposed to happen; the werewolves weren't supposed to have _feelings_; they were mindless, at least that's how they were always spoken of. But the sight of Alistair moaning and writhing on the filthy floor in nothing but his smallclothes made her throat feel like it was constricting, and for once, all her words failed her. She was hyper-aware that all the eyes in the room were focused on her, and that only made it worse. Her hands began to tingle and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Leliana placed a gentle hand on the Dalish's shoulder – for once the elf didn't brush it away.

"Warden, I think you owe it to your people, and Alistair, to speak with Zathrian." The Orlesian's soothing voice wrapped itself around Sabari, and she felt herself begin to relax. "There are things he has not told us, and perhaps we should find everything out before things escalate any further."

"Yes. Very well spirit, I shall bring Zathrian here." Sabari spoke softly, not taking her eyes off Alistair.

"Outside this chamber there is a passage to the surface." The spirit crossed her arms over her naked breast. "Time is of the essence now, mortal. I shall await your return..."

Leliana turned to lead the way over to the dusty, make-shift wooden door to the passageway – not once removing her hand from Sabari's shoulder. She seemed okay now, but for a moment it looked like she was about to fall apart. Leliana made a mental note to speak with the elf if they made it out of this alive.


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N - Thank you for your patience de ar readers, these two chapters were a long, laborious task, but they turned out okay thanks to the ever-talented Kyla Baines. I'll take a moment to shamelessly plug her newest tale: Duty and Devotion - a Cullen fic that I am way to excited about... So this chapter is written from both Sabari and Zathrian's p.o.v, this chapter would have been done much sooner if it wasn't for a certain mage'y elf *glares at Zathrian* Well here it is, at long last, chapter 16.  
**_

_Sabari _

* * *

Leliana led the way up the stale, dusty passage, grimacing. It was evident from the stench that the werewolves used this area to defecate. Thankfully upward trek was quick and the three women emerged in the cavernous room that housed the entrance to the ruins. They began preparing to head back to the Dalish camp when a baritone voice disrupted the eerie silence of the ruins.

"Ah, and here you are already."

Sabari looked over to her right to see Zathrian striding towards them; his usually pristine robes

"What are you doing here, Zathrian?" Sabari asked. She was truly shocked to see the Keeper there.

"He wishes to see if we did his work for him. Is that not why you are here, sorcerer?" Morrigan's voice was dangerously saccharine as she queried the elf.

"Do not call me that, witch," Zathrian replied, the comment seeming to rattle his usually cool demeanor. "I am the Keeper of this clan and I have done what I must." He turned to face Sabari. "Tell me, have you acquired the heart?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Morrigan replied before Sabari could open her mouth to speak.

"I will not play these games with you, witch. I can sense you don't have it, so why are you leaving the ruins?" Zathrian turned his angry glare on Sabari.

"I was sent to bring you to the Lady of the Forest," Sabari replied, chewing her bottom lip.

"You do understand she is Witherfang," said Zathrian. "She is the powerful spirit of this ancient forest that I summoned long ago and bound to the body of the wolf. Her nature is that of the forest itself: beautiful and terrible. She is the Spirit and Witherfang both, two sides of a single being. The curse first came from her, and those she inflicted with it mirrored her nature, becoming savage beasts as well as human."

"I already know all this and more, Zathrian. Did you not think to share this information with me when I offered my help? I had hoped to find reassurance that the spirit was lying when I spoke with you – instead I find out that it is you who speaks falsely." Sabari felt her mind wandering back to Alistair and realized she didn't have time to discuss Zathrian's omissions. "It would appear the wolves have regained their minds."

"I find that difficult to believe, as they attacked my clan," Zathrian retorted.

"Only because you have been ignoring them for so long," Leliana gently added. Zathrian gave her a disparaging look before continuing.

"They are the same savages they've always been. They deserve to be wiped out, not defended!"

"One could say the same thing about the elves," Morrigan stated. Sabari turned to snap at her but realized that she was right. What made one race superior to the other? Was her disdain for humans any better than their own bigotry?

Zathrian was quiet for a moment, and the angry lines were erased from his face. "I do not have time for that argument with you, witch; my people lay back at camp dying or worse..." He turned to face Sabari again. "Come, I will accompany you down into the ruin. Let us go and speak with the spirit and I will force her into Witherfang's form, then he may be slain and the heart taken!"

"Won't you at least speak with them?" Sabari asked.

"Why? You claim they have regained their minds. Even so, they are still the same, worthless creatures their ancestors were. They deserve the misery they possess. Let us take the heart and be done with it." Zathrian put his face in his palms; his voice was barely a whisper. "I don't want any more of my family to die. I'll speak with her, but if they seek only revenge, will you safeguard me from harm?"

Sabari nodded her agreement.

"Very well – though I fail to see the purpose," Zathrian replied, his haughty tone returning.

IOI

"So here you are spirit." Zathrian didn't bother to use a formal greeting with the Lady of the Forest; this did not please Swiftrunner, and he rushed toward the smug elf with a threatening growl.

"She is the Lady of the Forest and you will address her properly!" the beast snarled. The Lady placed her soothing hands on the brute and he was calm once more.

If Zathrian was frightened of the monster, he did not show it. Instead, he gently wiped the turquoise sleeve of his robe to remove the spittle that had flown from the wolf's jaws.

"So you've taken a name, spirit, and given names to your pets – these beasts." His voice was laden with disdain.

"It was they who gave me a name, Zathrian, and they names they take are their own. They follow me because I help them to find who they are," the lady quietly intoned.

Sabari was amazed that a voice so soft could be louder than the harsh snarls of the werewolves. She listened as the Spirit tried to plead her case for the werewolves. She listened as Zathrian hurled back merciless retorts. The more she heard Zathrian speak, the more he sounded exactly like the shemlen, and the more she wanted shake him, tell him to listen. Anger was beginning to boil in the pit of her stomach when the werewolf, Swiftrunner, snarled in rage.

"He will not help us, Lady," the creature said, his hulking shoulders heaving with frustration. "It is as I warned you – he is not here to talk."

"No," Zathrian paused for a moment, seeming to struggle with his words. "I am here to talk, though I see little point in it. We all know where this will lead. Your nature compels it, as does mine." The Keeper's arms crossed over his chest, his immovable stance emphasizing his mindset

"There is room in your for compassion, Zathrian. Surely your retribution is spent?" Those dark, unfathomable eyes seemed hopeful for a bleak moment.

Zathrian shook his head. "My retribution is eternal, spirit, as is my pain."

As the Lady stalked closer to the mage, the fresh air seemed to vanish from the chamber in the blink of an eye.

"Are you certain your pain is the only reason you will not end this curse?" The spirit ran willowy fingers down his robe. "Have you told the mortal how it was created?" She turned her timeless gaze on Sabari and continued. "Witherfang and I are bound as one being, but such powerful magic could not be accomplished without Zathrian's own blood. Your people believe you have discovered the immortality of your ancestors but that is not true. So long as the curse exists so do you."

"No! That is not how it is!" Zathrian exclaimed.

"No, the curse has a life of its own, though Zathrian's life depends on it. His death plays a part in its ending, however," the lady added.

"Then we kill him – tear him apart now!" Swiftrunner roared.

"For all your powers of speech, you are a beast still." Zathrian spat. "What would you gain from killing me? Only I know how the ritual ends, and I will never do it!"

Swiftrunner howled as if the very words caused him pain. "You see!" he bellowed, "We must kill them all!"

"See how they turn on you just as quickly?" Zathrian whirled around to face Sabari. "You wouldn't fail your own people for these creatures?" The mage caught the younger elf' glance to her half-transformed friend. "Or will you betray them for some shemlen?" Zathrian glared at her when she didn't answer. "Do what you have come here to do grey warden, or get out of my way!"

Sabari's voice caught in her throat as she looked into Swiftrunner's eyes, she didn't expect to see hope shining in the feral orbs. Sabari allowed herself a glance at Alistair's twisted form. The outlook certainly seemed grim, and she doubted that he would survive the transformation. His breathing was ragged, yet he still managed to give her a lop-sided smile. His elongated canines made the expression more terrifying than comforting, but she still saw that unquenchable optimism shining through his amber eyes. Her heart softened, and she turned to look at Zathrian, her mouth set in a grim line.

"I can't help you do this, Zathrian."

Somehow, Sabari's quiet words resonated throughout the chamber with greater force than anything that had been said up to that point.

"Then you will die with them!" Zathrian shouted as he raised his gnarled wooden staff above his head above his head, its length emitting a pulsing green glow. "All of you will suffer!" The mage's voice seethed with rage.

Sabari braced herself as the earth beneath their feet began to shake. A loud crack reverberated off the chamber's polished walls; saplings sprouted from the ground and grew rapidly into twisted oaks. The tree closest to Sabari swung a gnarled branch which she clumsily dodged. She noticed the lady had indeed become Witherfang – the largest wolf Sabari had ever seen stood in the centre of the room, covered in a coat of glistening white fur with leafy tendrils snaking up the legs. The werewolves began to bark and howl and Sabari grew frantic, for in the confusion she could not see Alistair's form She heard Zathrian's voice roar out over the din, and the static from his summoned magic caused her skin to break out in gooseflesh."

Morrigan wasted no time manipulating the arcane energy around her into protective She quickly scanned the chamber: Leliana and the werewolves had begun to engage the thrashing sylvan, but where was the elf? She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she spotted Sabari dragging Alistair's prone form away from the centre of the room. Her keen hearing could hardly make out what the elf was whispering to the mutated warrior, displeased and though the thought of saving the childish man displeased her, Mother had said to keep both grey wardens alive. Morrigan softly chanted the words that would increase the elf's strength and hurry her little venture along.

IOI

Sabari felt power rush through her veins – a euphoric feeling as she was struggling in pulling the bulk of werewolf -Alistair.

Creators, he was heavy!

She finally was able to get him behind an old pillar, and as she turned to leave she heard a raspy voice groan.

"I-I knew you would do the right thing."

Alistair's eyes were barely slits, and it sounded like tremendous effort was needed to speak.

"I will keep you safe..." she whispered before turning back to head into the fray. That was Sabari's mantra as she cut her way through the demon-plagued trees.

She sunk her dagger into the thick centre of a twisted sylvan, while chopping off a flailing limb with her short-sword.

It was careless to court the demons that stalked the beyond; her father had told her that. They offer power, love, revenge...but at the cost of your humanity. After all these years, it seemed that Zathrian had finally lost his.

A sharp thwack to the back of her head shocked her from her thoughts and the force of the blow knocked her sword and dagger from her hands as she fell face-first onto the ground. The pain from the sylvan's branch was excruciating, but she rolled over on to her back to find the gnarled tree upon her. Before she had any time to react, Leliana jumped over her in a graceful arc and sank her daggers deep into the ancient wood. The bard made quick work of the demonic tree, and it toppled over with a loud crack!

Sabari snatched her weapons off the floor and nodded a quick thank-you in Leliana's direction before seeking out Zathrian.

_ Zathrian  
_

* * *

The mage had conjured a hedge of thorns to prevent a number of werewolves from overtaking him – it had served its purpose; three of the creatures lay impaled on the large spikes Zathrian was sure that his victory was assured at this point – the sylvan's he had conjured were wreaking havoc among the werewolves, even if they were susceptible to that witch's fire spells. His vision grew clouded from the exertion of replacing a fallen tree with another, but he ignored the irritating sensation, knowing it would pass momentarily. Distracted, he didn't notice the dark-haired elf approach the thorns; he didn't notice the immolation of his hedge until small chunks of it were flicked at his face. He turned quickly to see that traitorous elf closing in on his right. Raising clenched hands, he snarled in anger and caused roots to spring from the ground to ensnare that whelp of a girl who dared call herself one of the People.

A taut frown formed across his tattooed brow as he reached for the small, jewel-encustred dagger that his mother had given him – the same knife his daughter had ended her life with. with practised hand, he cut open his palm. The dizzying, euphoric effect of bloodshed washed over him, and the sublime voice that had become all-too-familiar over the past century boomed in his mind.

"_And here we are again..."_ The shadowy presence wrapped itself around Zathrian.

"_Your mind has become weak, Zathrian. It crumbles like the ruins you've bound these creatures to."_

The demon had never felt so strong before – or had it? He hardly knew anymore. The harder the presence pushed on his mind, the harder Zathrian tried to fight it, but his strength was waning.

"_Do not tell me that you grow weary, mortal – this is your chance for vengeance… for glory!"_ The pride demon's words grated against Zathrian's weary mind.

Zathrian tried to focus on the form of the slight warden – was she closer? It didn't matter. Lightning shot from his fingers in clumsy blue tendrils. He gritted his teeth as he felt sharp, lupine teeth rake his lower abdomen, and as the first flickers of fiery pain began to engulf him, the demon withdrew, taking his breath along with it. When his vision cleared, he found himself nose to nose with Mahariel's daughter. He saw sorrow in her bright green eyes but her lips were set in grim determination. Any pain he felt when the curved dagger pierced his flesh was overshadowed by relief, as he felt the last vestiges of the demon leave his body.

The lifeless sylvans collapsed to the ground, leaving their opponents momentarily confused. Zathrian's voice echoed loudly in the now-quiet cavern; he had very little magic after the last traces of demonic presence left his body; he realized he could not defeat them.

"Finish it! Kill him now!" The beast that called itself Swiftrunner snarled as it bounded over to Mahariel.

The Lady of the Forest emerged from a cyclone of leaves and rushed to the beast's side.

"No Swiftrunner – if there is no room in our hearts for mercy, how can we expect there to room in his?" She spoke in soothing tones – Zathrian had never seen this side of the spirit before; he wondered where she had learned compassion.

_A freckled boy with rosy cheeks and eyes of sapphire framed by blonde locks smiled up at him. "Father, I saved a crow today." _

It only seemed like yesterday that he had found his son laying face down in the dirt, discarded like a piece of trash, innocent face contorted in agony.

They had cut off his ears.

"I am too old to show mercy," he managed to choke out; the healing spell he had been casting died on his fingertips. "All I see are the faces of my children, my people..."

You would risk the life of your clan, of those you are blood sworn to protect, for the sake of your own hatred?" Mahariel asked in clipped tones.

_She wasn't there – none of them were,_ Zathrian felt his temper beginning to rise as that witch began to speak once more.

"Is your vengeance really unwavering," she asked, "or are you afraid to die?"

The question struck Zathrian, and for once, someone had asked him a question that he could not answer. He was aware of the suspicious gazes of both the elf and spirit upon him, but he found he did not care. With a jolt, he realized that perhaps she was right – perhaps they were all right. Neither the spirit of his own summoning nor the werewolves that now roamed the forest had played any role in the atrocities that had been committed against his beloved children. Feeling as though a century's worth of cobwebs had been swept from his mind, Zathrian realized that he too wanted this madness to end.

"Perhaps I have lived too long." He paused for a moment, his shoulders sagging as the weight of the words hit him. "This hatred within me is like a gnarled root; it has consumed my soul."

He turned to focus his gaze on Mahariel's daughter, her green eyes ensnared by his rich brown. "You should not let it consume yours, daughter of Crithta." Zathrian paused for a moment to smooth down his singed robes. "And what of you, spirit? You are bound to the curse as am I. Do you not fear your end?"

"You are my maker, Zathrian. You have given me form and consciousness when none existed. I have known pain, love, hope and fear - all the joy that is life." The spirit let a willowy hand rest on Swiftrunner's hulking shoulder. "But of all things, I desire nothing more than an end." She turned beseeching ebony eyes on him. "I beg you, Maker, put an end to me; we beg you to show mercy."

The haunting tone of her voice made the fine hairs on the back of Zathrian's neck stand on end. Years he had imagined what this moment would be like – speaking with the spirit. He definitely didn't think she would beg to end it all, and the request tore at his heart. She was a part of him, even if he hated to admit it - his own blood had created her. He felt his heart shatter as he realized she was like a daughter to him. He had granted mercy to his daughter when she had found out she carried a shemlen child; why not now grant the same mercy to this daughter of the forest?

_She had come to his aravel late one mid-summer's eve, tears shining in those impossible blue eyes –eyes like her mother's. _

"_Father," she had said to him, silvery voice barely a whisper. He had beckoned for her to come over to him. He had been reading the clan's lore on his bed of furs, and she had lain down beside him and grasped his hand. He remembered the sickening feeling of his stomach dropping as she told him that she was with child. He remembered vowing vengeance in that moment. She had asked him to kill her - they both knew that bearing a human child could kill her even if the shame didn't. Nothing in his life had prepared him for his only daughter – disciple of Mythal – to ask him to end her life. When he refused, she told him she had already had prepared a potion of Felandaris, and vowed to take it if he didn't aid her. _

"_Mercy, Father, I beg you..."_

_At dawn on a craggy hill overlooking the Amaranthine Ocean, swaddled in the warm pink light, he watched his daughter drink the potion. Tears streamed down his face as he pressed a kiss upon her forehead, and told her that they would all be together again one day. She told him that she would stay in the veil; she wouldn't pass into the beyond without him. He laughed against bitter tears – only she would be so stubborn._

_He knew she didn't have long until the poison started threading its way through her body. Felandaris was a swift but agonizing death, which is why he had agreed to put her into an enchanted sleep – she wouldn't feel a thing. Magic shimmered in the air as he murmured ancient words and her eyes closed for the last time..._

"You shame me spirit – I am an old man who has been alive long past his time," Zathrian finally admitted after a long pause.

"Then you'll do it? End the curse?" the lady asked, hope shining through her obsidian orbs.

"Yes, I think it is time." Zathrian felt a curious constriction in his throat, and wondered at the emotions that coursed through him – it had been a long time since any feeling other than bitter vengeance had consumed him.". "Let us put an end to it all."

_Sabari  
_

* * *

A bright flash of light exploded in front of them, and Sabari squeezed her eyes shut to protect them from the undulating beams. When she opened them again, she saw Zathrian's lifeless form laying upon trampled vines. Before she had a moment to register what had just unfolded, though, she saw that she was surrounded by a group of naked shemlen. The tips of her ears began to burn, and she quickly averted her gaze from the very tall, very naked man who used to be Swiftrunner.

"It's done... she is gone, and we're human! I can scarcely believe it..." he said. His human voice had a pleasant, wolf-like rumble to it.

"Yes, well, what are you going to do now?" Sabari asked, trying to focus on his olive eyes, trying to ignore the fact that the other wolfmen and women were embracing each other, shedding tears of joy. Oddly, she realized that she was actually sharing in these creatures' happiness.

"We will go to human villages and slowly integrate ourselves back into society – after finding proper attire of course." Swiftrunner smiled at her, revealing startlingly white straight teeth. "I am sorry we resorted to such hostile measures," he grew somber as he continued. "It had to be done. You have no idea how glorious it is to not have to fight that beast everyday - thank you for listening to us."

"You're ... welcome," She truly was touched by the man's admission. "But you will need more clothing to fit into the shemlen world..." She offered a weak grin before scanning the room for Alistair. Swiftrunner's laugh was a deep growl in his chest and he returned her grin; she kindly dismissed him and sprinted over to the spot she had left Alistair. She crept up and peeked around the girth of the mottled stone – panic crashed over her when she didn't see him there. She began the Forgotten Ones when a melodious, Orlesian voice rang out saying her name. Green eyes widened as she looked to the left and saw Leliana standing next to a thoroughly embarrassed Alistair, who was holding his ripped trousers around his lower abdomen.

"I told you bad things happen when I lead," he said with a grin as she approached them. Her dark hair was matted and clung to her face. A leather pauldron had been torn from her shoulder and her leggings were ripped. A gash across her forehead trickled blood down the edge of her nose but she hugged him – much to his surprise.

"You smell like a dog," she said, letting her forehead rest on his shoulder for a moment.

"Surely this fact doesn't surprise you? I was raised by them." Alistair only chuckled at his witty retort for a moment before he realized he was hugging his fellow warden in nothing but a torn leg of his cotton pants around his hips.

She must have realized at the same time as he did: that one of them was significantly less clothed than the other. Her arms dropped quickly to her sides and she jumped back, apologizing for bleeding on him.

"I'm glad you're alright," she told him. Her carefully constructed mask of indifference was back in place, but the smile lived on in her eyes as she met his. "I was...worried."

"Oh, don't have to worry about me, I'm Alistair, son of," he stammered for a moment. "Son of… a stable-hand," he finished weakly.

Sabari quirked an eyebrow at him, but before she could question his knowledge of the language, Morrigan's voice echoed over to them, asking if they were finished with their pointless chatter and what they planned to tell the Dalish. She looked back at Alistair with a grin.

"Are you healthy?" she asked him.

"Relatively, I think," he stifled a chuckle.

"Then let's find you some clothes," she said to him as she began to walk back over to the werewolves. "You know Morrigan doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Oh who cares about Morrigan...? I almost became a _werewolf_, you know." A deep blush had spread across his face, and Sabari tried not to laugh. She shouldn't be feeling so exuberant after the events that had just passed, but she couldn't help it – she was relieved, and for a fleeting moment the weight of the blight was off her shoulders.

Swiftrunner and his pack accompanied them out of the ruins; the werewolves took turns thanking them before they left, and promised to send aid if they required it. Sabari was watching their departure so intently that she barely heard Alistair mention that the werewolves were headed toward Gwaren, and that Loghain was Teyrn over those lands. Instead, Sabari was wondering if the werewolves would stay together, or if they would eventually drift apart. She broke from her thoughts as the last person disappeared into the evening mist.

IOI

Sabari did not tell the Dalish about Zathrian.

When she returned to the clan with the story about how Zathrian had broken the curse, she decided it was best not to shatter their trust in their Keeper. Lanaya, the Keeper's First, was deeply saddened by the news, but vowed she would send word to whatever clans had decided to stay for the Ferelden winter. They remained in camp or the evening, graciously accepting sleep for the first time in days. They left before sunrise the next morning, wanting to regroup with Sten as quickly as possible. After hushed good-byes with Lanaya, Sabari was finally ready to go. She liked the new keeper of the clan; it was time for a change.

The weary group of companions traced their way north toward the Brecilian passage. The day was overcast and there was a chill in the air, but Sabari had always enjoyed the change of seasons from autumn to winter. The others seemed to be invigorated by her brisk walk, and they found Sten just as night threatened to swallow them.

IOI

Sabari sat on a hill overlooking the road that threaded through the Brecilian forest - as a child her parents had told her to be wary of the roads: there are far more, distrustful, beings, than benevolent ones, passing through the forest. Lately, though, it seemed she was destined to travel them. She thought back to Zathrian, and how his blind hatred had all but consumed him, almost causing needless death. She thought of her own hatred toward the shemlen - could it be possible that she was heading down the same dark path Zathrian had?

Leliana had made a point to speak with her on their way back to camp, and at first Sabari had been hesitant to talk with the human, but she had chastised herself. Her companions held no responsibility for the death of her parents or any other elf. Once she started talking to the Orlesian woman, she couldn't seem to stop, and she found as she spoke of her pain and anger, a feeling of peace came over her. With a smile and one last glance down at the moon-lit road, she began to head back to camp. After all, she had to figure out where they were going next.

Now the only thing left to do was end this blight.

* * *

_**A/N - me again - and with this we wrap up Nature of the Beast. Yay! It was an emotional roller coaster, but everyone made it through ****virtually****unscathed. Watch out for chapter 17, we begin our journey to Kinloch Hold. A certain assassin might be showing up soon, so hi-jinkery will be afoot. Also Sabari & friends will be meeting our first *pause for dramatic effect* Mystery Character! Dun dun dun! I know I've been blathering for awhile but one last thing: I've just started school, so Spectrum will be updated *hopefully* on a bi-weekly basis(in-between homework and such.. :) thanks for reading and if you like/love/hate what I'm doing, leave a note - I love comments! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_Elvish Dictionary  
__Seth'lin - thin blood_

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It had begun to snow. And if the slush that leeched into their boots and wind that cut though armor wasn't bad enough, they'd somehow managed to find themselves on the outskirts of Amaranthine City. Alistair had decided they should steer clear of Denerim, declaring that it wouldn't be wise to parade around the city in their warden attire. He had sworn to his Maker that he knew a road that bypassed the city completely. Morrigan had immediately declared Alistair's idea foolish, but then admitted she didn't know the area that well. Sabari looked to Leliana and the Qunari, but neither offered any alternative, so she decided to let Alistair show them the way. The road, if you could call it that, had indeed bypassed Denerim, all the way to the coast.

She thought of her clan - they would be in the free marches already, headed for the more temperate climate of the green dales outside of Antiva. They had begun going there after her parents' death, but before that it had been Nevarra.

Fluffy, white snowflakes landed on the tip of her nose, bringing her back to the cold reality of Ferelden.

"Look on the bright side, Bari, at least it isn't raining anymore," Alistair called over to the elf, who grunted as she clutched her cloak around her shoulders.

"I told you what would happen if you called me that again," Sabari replied, hoping her words were laced with intimidation.

She regretted telling him about the childhood nickname - it wasn't even half-creative. Obviously, she would have to refrain from sharing embarrassing stories with her fellow warden. He talked a lot, and when she was with him, she talked a lot too. It was like she couldn't turn it off - foolish.

"Didn't you say you would stitch my socks?" he taunted, a crooked grin pursued the rosy tint that spread across his face. She bit back a laugh, before turning a half-hearted glare his way.

"I could stitch your lips for you?" Morrigan offered sweetly from behind them. "That way you can use all the hot air to keep yourself warm."

"But I want to _share_," Alistair began, "I don't want to keep the warmth to myself, that's just rude, a rather... _Morrigan_ thing to do." He turned to adjust his pack, chuckling at the witch's dramatic sigh.

"I don't remember making any promises involving your dirty socks, Alistair. I _may_ have offered to make you new socks with material from Bodahn, _if _you truly knew of a way around the city to the flatlands." Sabari paused, glancing around the moss-covered slate, the salt of the ocean dancing on every breeze. "However, Bodahn had to leave us when it became too rocky, and this was definitely not a short-cut." she crossed her arms in her cloak.

"Surely, dear lady, you wouldn't leave me in holey socks in the winter," he motioned at the snow falling around him. "I won't be able to fight darkspawn if I get frostbite."

"Morrigan's healing spells are sufficient, she could heal you if that happened,"

"She'd probably turn me into a toad," Alistair lowered his voice in an attempt to avoid the indignant snort from behind him.

"Natu ate a toad once," Sabari replied, sneaking a sidelong glance and catching the ex-templar shoot a wary look in the wolf's direction. The wolf growled and ran his tongue over knife-like teeth, and Alistair quickened his pace to join the elf .

"So, maybe I got a little lost, but now we're just outside of Amaranthine," he began as he fell in beside her. It took him a moment to realize that the name probably meant nothing to her, so he explained how The Coastlands were looked after by Teryn Cousland. The Teryn and the King were close, he would want to know about Loghain's betrayal, and possibly lend aid.

Sabari didn't care much for human politics, and didn't want to get sidetracked from the task of assembling an army, but Alistair assured her that if they continued west, they would reach Kinloch Hold. He also told her that it would be prudent to get supplies. She sighed, knowing he was right, but she didn't relish the idea of getting too close to humans, and told this to Alistair.

"I'm human, and you seem to be pretty close to me." he mentioned, pointing out how little space there had come between them.

The pointy tips of her ears burned as she quickly grasped for a reply.

"You're...strange." She winced inwardly - that hadn't been as witty as she'd hoped. Her eyes narrowed as she caught the look of glee on his face. "In fact I'm not even sure you _are_ human..."

A bark of laughter escaped the young warrior's lips."You wound me, surely someone so lovely can't wield such a sharp tongue." He ran a gloved hand through his sandy hair, still chuckling to himself.

"Think of it more as a compliment." she replied.

He liked watching the smooth lines of her tattoos climb up her cheeks when she smiled; he wanted to ask her about them, but didn't know how to do so without sounding like an idiot.

She had been in better spirits since leaving the forest, and though she claimed to hate the cold, she had barely complained during their travels. Instead, she had brought Alistair with her on hunts, much to her wolf's annoyance. At first he had been clumsy in the woods, a cacophony of snapped branches and scuffled stones following his steps. After some haggling with the dwarf and some quick stitching, he had leather tunic fit for a Dalish hunter, and a fine crossbow made from a sturdy oak branch. With his new kit, the serenade of twigs and rocks quieted, and he was able to keep up; he impressed Sabari with a decent shot, catching a boar on their sixth trip.

He swore Leliana to secrecy over their midnight lessons.

xxx

The smell of brine and human sweat hung heavily in the air. Sabari pinched her nose as she felt herself begin to grow light-headed from the spicy aroma, and they weren't even inside the city walls yet. She scowled darkly when Alistair announced that he loved the smell of market in the morning.

"You love _everything, _Alistair," the elf said with a sigh.

"I don't love potted head," he quipped as he pulled her closer to him and out of the throng of people that surged forward when the tall gates to the city opened.

"I don't even know what that is, Alistair, but I'll find it and stuff your pack full of it," she replied, shaking his hand off her shoulder. She didn't even know how he had managed to convince her into coming into the blighted city with him. Yet here she was, surrounded by humans, and hoping not to stick out. The hood from her cloak hid her ears, but her tattooed face was harder to conceal.

Amaranthine was all cobbled streets, seemingly endless, with houses and shops practically piled on top of one another. Bright rays of sun were only just beginning to peek over the horizon, but the muddy roads were already peppered with the colourful merchant carts, and the buzzing of hagglers could be heard from behind the crumbling brick walls.

"There's hardly a tree in sight Alistair!" Sabari gasped, looking around quickly. "Everything is so... confined. How do all these people find their way around?"

Alistair began to laugh, but stifled it when he saw the haunted look in her eyes. He realized that all this must look very foreign to her. He placed his hand on her trembling shoulder as they walked through the market and lowered his voice.

"Don't worry, we humans aren't as dumb as we look, eventually we learn our way around these rat-traps." He paused as he led her down a crooked street where the houses were mostly made of various blankets with scraps of metal for roofs. Her fists had unclenched and she wasn't trying to hide her short, raggedy breaths anymore. He came to a stop in front of one the brighter buildings on the road; a sign made of driftwood creaked in the cool breeze, it depicted a mug full of ale. He turned to her with a grin and said, "And we always know where to find the pub." He was pleased when he heard a snort of amusement.

"The sun isn't even halfway through it's journey, Alistair, and we don't have the coin for spirits."

"I'm sure it's happy hour somewhere." He winced as he watched her face go through the process of understanding his human slang "- but I do have the coin, and it'll calm your nerves, so let's have a pint," he added before she could comment on his intelligence.

"My nerves are fine, it's just…disconcerting, all this stone everywhere..." her voice trailed off as she looked around again. "How do you have coin for beer?" Curious eyes caught him in question, a hint of a smile webbed at her lips. Alistair fidgeted with the bronzed clasp on his cloak,

"Bodahn liked some of the little figures I carved." He carefully chose the words from his mind and forced himself not to mumble. "He gave me a few silvers for a couple of them."

"I didn't know you carved figures, can I see them?" Her green eyes had turned mischievous.

"Sure, well, only if you'll have a pint with me." His voice was playful. "If you've even drank before, that is. How old are you?"

"Old enough to have a drink by any _shemlen _law," she scoffed.

"So that's a...yes_,_ then?" He tried not to look too pleased as he opened the door to the Crown and Lion.

"Yes, that's a 'yes' _lethallan,"_ she replied, swatting his arm away with her gloves as she walked into the dimly lit building.

Xxx

Alistair made his way back to their small crooked table with two large mugs of beer; the tavern had a surprising number of patrons for it being before lunch. He tried to place the mugs down with as little mess as possible, but fate decreed that the table should wobble and spatter his small companion with the cool, amber liquid. As she raised the glass toward her nose, breathing deeply, Alistair tried not to think that she looked like a rabbit when she wriggled her nose at the ales tangy aroma, and that the black ink that traced her cheekbones, did_ not _look like whiskers.

"What are you laughing at?" her eyes darted up from the chipped mug when she heard his muffled laughter

"I can't say, you'll hurt me." He tried to suppress his mirth with a sip of ale. That sip turned to a swig, and he found he had never tasted a finer ale in all his life. Only takes a blight to enjoy the simpler things in life.

"I wouldn't hurt you _letha -listair," _she finished with a meaningful swig of her beer, hoping he had only heard his name out of the jumble of words that had fallen out of her mouth.

"What does that mean?" he asked, before a slender golden finger was pressed firmly to his lips. He understood the playful light in her eyes, and grabbed her hand away from his face.

"I was laughing because - and you _promised _you wouldn't hurt me, and that means all possible variations _madam_ – I was laughing because you look like a rabbit when you wrinkle your nose." He braced himself for the possibility of the clay mug coming straight for his head - he didn't dare tell her that sort of behaviour would get them kicked out of an establishment like this.

"Is it because of my ears?" she asked flatly.

"No, silly, it's because of your...tattoos," he replied, finishing the last of his ale sooner than he anticipated. Nerves, probably. The elf - woman, in front of him made him nervous. When he had first met her he had been taken by her strange beauty, and it had been hard to see past that at first. He had come to know her over the tumultuous months, and knew that he did care for her - it had been impossible for him not to, living in camp with her. But his attraction for her had dulled, darkspawn hordes tend to dampen a courtship anyway. He believed her to be his friend now, and he even thought she might think the same way of him, and that fact meant a lot to him.

"My tattoos don't scare you?" she asked.

"No. Did they hurt?"

"A lot, actually. Would you like to hear about it?" She placed her empty mug on the table. "But only if you get me another drink first," she added quickly, grinning as the warrior stood up to replenish his mug. He laughed as he snatched both glasses from the table and moved to the bar.

Sabari watched him as he threaded his way up to the front of pub, listened to him order, and tried feign indifference upon his return.

"Another pint for you, milady." Alistair handed her the drink with as much grace as he could muster. He wasn't wearing full armor today, which was a nice change, but the leather was a bit stiff from the rain.

"_Ma serrenas,"_she replied, accepting the mug from him and taking a lengthy gulp before placing it on the table.

"That means 'thank you,' doesn't it?" he asked, sitting down in the weathered little chair across from her. "I've been starting to understand some elvish by listening to you talk – don't look at me like that, I don't mean it in a creepy way." He paused for a moment to look wounded by the elf's grimace. "I just hear the context in which you speak your language and how it relates to mine, and, well, it's fun really..."

"Do you think you can speak it?" A sly smile crept across her face, revealing white teeth that tapered to a soft point.

"I doubt it would sound as authentic as yours, though my knowledge of the elven language _is _rather extensive, you know."

Sabari sat back and folded her arms, a smile tugging at her lips.

Alistair took this as a good sign. "Well, for example, there's _ma new veenin_, which I think means 'all right' or 'very well,' and also _uh neth ah rah_, which is something along the lines of saying 'hello.'" He looked at her for confirmation.

Sabari smiled and nodded. "That's pretty good… for a _shem_."

Alistair ignored the friendly jab and put one finger in the air. "'Human!' I'm getting rather good at this, aren't I? There is one word, though, that eludes even _my_ keen mind…"

Sabari quirked an eyebrow, and Alistair grinned. "_Letha-listair_."

IOI

The afternoon sun shone brightly, teasing them with warm rays in between swollen, grey clouds. It caused the vibrant hues of the shop displays to shine brightly against snowflakes that stuck to the mud, marring the paths into the marketplace. She stifled a sigh as she caught sight of the mud caked onto her boots - thankfully they were lined well enough to keep her feet dry, but it would take hours of meticulous scrubbing to get all the offending muck off them.

It had gotten colder since they had been inside the void of the human watering hole, the air was crisp but the ale provided a pleasant warmth in her stomach. She supposed winter wasn't all bad, as she found herself mesmerized by the angular prisms that glittered in the sunlight.

She kept pace with Alistair as they visited stalls that sold the various salts and herbs that they used to make the tough, but sustainable jerky. Neither of them paused to look at the polished trinkets that shone lustrously against red-dyed linen. Instead, Alistair showed her what potted head was – a combination of leftover animal parts, consisting of fair amount of objectionable parts of a pig's head.

"If you think that's bad, I've heard stories of some of my people eating the tongues from deer." Her silvery voice rang out amidst the thrum of the city. She laughed and assured him she was joking when he blanched at her obscure comment. He shook his head and returned to handing over coin to the shopkeeper, who gave the elf a funny look.

Alistair remembered Morrigan asking them to look for certain distilling agents so she could craft extra poultices from the elfroot she had gathered in the forest.

The crafting shop at the far end of the courtyard was more of a shanty, but the table outside was littered with translucent glass; Sabari eyed the strange coloured liquids contained in the twisted shapes. Compelled fingers reached for the rose-tinted phial, but a penetrating voice startled her from her reverie and she noticed Alistair giving her a strange look.

"Don't touch that, you foolish elf!" The nasally tone sounded hostile, but the owner of the voice was a withered little man whose head was level with her shoulders. "It's a love potion – and if you think about trying to swipe it, I'll crack your knuckles myself!"

She would have been angry, but the image of the old man with tufty white hair protruding from his mottled head simply made her want to laugh. Feeling light from the drinks, she was hardly offended by the ignorant _shem's_ comment.

"Silly human," Sabari bit her bottom lip, trying not to grin outright. "I have enough coin to buy several of your concoctions."

Beady grey eyes glared at her from under thick, white eyebrows that looked overlarge on his wizened brow. After a short moment spent haggling with the elderly human, they managed to procure a large bottle of the acrid smelling liquid that Morrigan needed, which she wrapped snugly into her cloak, and placed it gently into her pack. Nodding to Alistair, they left the hut silently, leaving the shopkeeper to his potions.

After they had travelled what they felt was a safe distance from the alchemist, Alistair turned to her and laughed, "You looked absolutely entranced by that _love _potion_,_" his voice took on a gooey tone at the word love, and he waggled his eyebrows obnoxiously in her direction.

"Well, you have to admit, it was pretty..." she replied, glancing nonchalantly over her shoulder . The setting sun caused her dark hair to shimmer violet as it trailed behind her. His thoughts were interrupted though, by a gruff voice from behind them.

"Just who do you think you are, letting that knife-eared wench walk around the city like this all day?"

Alistair turned to face a giant of a man, with a large, boxy face that was permanently burnt from too many summers. Bright blue eyes glittered from beneath copper bangs. The ox-like man was flanked by two slightly smaller men, both muddy-haired and with the same sloping nose - brothers presumably.

_Hired thugs, _Alistair thought for a moment, but as the trio of neanderthals approached him, he smelled the booze on their breath...

"Yeah, the other ones might start getting ideas!" The shortest and thickest one chortled.

_Not thugs, just armed drunks – brilliant__._

Alistair shifted the weight in his pack, he didn't hear the elf swiftly reach his side; her jade eyes narrowed in contemptuous hate as she looked up at the sizable man in front of her.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," her smoky voice was smooth as honey as she mocked the ginger bull. "I wasn't aware there was a certain way my people had to walk."

The sound of the slap shocked her first, her anger numbed her to the pain for a moment before the stinging realization hit her.

"Your people don't leave the alienage without escort, and if they do-"

The man didn't get a chance to finish his statement before Alistair's fist connected square with his jaw.

"You dare," the man laughed as he spat blood from his mouth. "Do you not know who I am?"

"Does it matter? You were obviously raised by Chasind."

The closest brute to Alistair cracked his knuckles, and then quickly looked to his master for permission.

"I'll give you this last opportunity to turn around _seth'lin..." _Sabari's voice crackled with electricity as she straightened her back and drew a long knife from her tunic.

"Oh, look boss, knife-ear has a knife!" A sharp pain caused his laughter to cease, and muddy eyes widened as he looked down to see the blade piercing his trousers. He dropped as if the sudden realization of being stabbed had caused him to faint.

With the distraction of his goon falling, the red-haired man drew his longsword and charged at Alistair.

Angry at the sight of her friend being knocked down by the hulking _shemlen, _Sabari drew the dagger that was hidden in the lining of her boot, and moved swiftly toward the struggling men on the ground.

Snarling, she dug the crooked blade into the man's cloth-covered shoulder. He let out a bellow of pain that must have scared his companion, for the man jumped a foot in the air, but his shrill voice was interrupted by a dazzle of blue light.

Sabari felt the giant go rigid beneath her and she quickly withdrew her blade. The smell of magic singed the air; the other two men had gone stiff as well. Her ear twitched as Alistair pushed the bulk of the prone man away, but her eyes did not stop searching for the source of light.

"Don't worry, they're not dead." The wizened man from the potions shop appeared from her right side. He no longer walked with a hunch, and carried a gnarled oak root in his hand. "I simply stunned them -Tammerly is a real toad."

"You're an apostate," Alistair blurted out. Sabari turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowed with interest.

"Must you call every person gifted with magic that?" she asked.

"It doesn't really matter what I am," the mage interrupted before the ex-templar could begin to recite some doctrine. "However, what I'm about to do for you both is of slight importance," he cast grey eyes around the group before continuing. "I'm going to Tevinter, thanks to your coin. This guy is trouble, and I'll be happy to wipe their memories," he paused for dramatic effect, "if your templar friend here forgets that he saw me."

Alistair cringed at being called a templar, and hastily corrected the mage. "I'm not a templar, I used to be one. Now, I'm a... merchant!" He finished rather lamely, but he was glad he didn't blurt out Grey Warden.

The mage gave him a scathing look that told him how much he believed his attempts in deception.

"Look, I didn't see anything," the ex-templar raised his hands to placate the old man. "Just wave your root around, give them temporary amnesia, maybe stitch up our pals who my bloodthirsty friend here assailed with her knives..."

"I was saving you," she called over her shoulder as she retrieved her small knife from the beefy man's shin. "Which reminds me: are you all right?" she asked as she sauntered back over to him. He endured her inspection, claiming that the brute had been too drunk to actually use his weapon.

After she was convinced that her comrade wasn't hurt, she turned to thank the mage for his help - it would be much easier to leave the cursed city without having to deal with that mess. She wished him a safe journey before her and Alistair headed toward the gates - she couldn't be out of the human city fast enough.

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_**Authors note : First and foremost, a thousand apologies for the long wait between chapters. And another apology for not having the mystery character in this chapter. Huge hugs to my super awesome friend/beta Kyla Baines - thanks for not giving up on us! I really hope you enjoyed the chapter because I had a lot of fun/late nights writing it. **_


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